445 



is a type if it has not this function? And if it has no value, how 

 comes it that no modern authors of any ability ever fail to cite their 

 types ? 



One can readily understand and sympathise with the type of 

 mind which has some delicacy in tampering with the original generic 

 groups of honoured authors a hundred years ago , and would desire 

 to leave then intact. But when once we have agreed to accept the 

 logic of the stricken field and realize that long ago these groups have 

 been broken up, and again divided by the sword of the analyst, and 

 have admitted the validity of such action; then I fail to understand 

 the kind of intellect which afterwards refuses to permit either the 

 original, or other author, from carrying out a further limitation by 

 definitely citing a "type". Still less sympathy has one for the tem- 

 perament which, having once agreed that certain processes are practi- 

 cally necessary, declines to apply them whenever he finds it incon- 

 venient to do so. 



However, as I ventured to observe in a former paper, one has no 

 desire to take one's stand as a pope in any matter, nor would one 

 ever seek to compel anyone to conform to any of these rules, except 

 so far as they can be brought under compulsion by the dictates of 

 their own common-sense, in view of a practical problem to be solved. 



In case any systematists may wish to have a clear idea of the 

 object we have in view and the methods by which we propose to attain 

 it, I add a brief summary of the rules I am following. 



The determination of the Type of a genus. 



In the interests of practical systematic zoology it is held to be 

 absolutely necessary, in order to put an end to the prevailing confu- 

 sion in the use of generic names, that a single species be fixed upon 

 as the Type or Standard of Comparison for each genus, so that 

 we may know exactly what characteristics we refer to when we use 

 any particular generic name. 



Definition of a genus. 



A genus consists of one or more species, either definitely cited by 

 name, or indicated by reference to some publication, and designated 

 by a special generic name. 



A valid genus. 

 A genus is held to be valid, when the generic name is accom- 

 panied by one or more established species, cited by name or indicated 

 by reference, with or without a generic diagnosis. 



