1354 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXI. 



NO. XXXVI.— THE TRINOMIAL SYSTEM OF NOMENCLATURE. 



To open any discussion on " nomenclatorial questions " is, we know, 

 treading on exceedingly delicate ground, but the subject has recently 

 assumed such vast importance for all Naturalists that, it is felt that the 

 time has now come, when it can no lona^er be shelved. 



In a very remarkable book entitled " A Hand-List of British Birds " by 

 Hartert, Jourdain, Ticehurst, and Witherby (published by Witherby and 

 Co., London, 1912), a most thorough attempt has been made by the authors 

 to settle, let us fervently hope once and for all, the vexed question of 

 nomenclature. Each bird has, in this work, been assigned its correct 

 scientific name in conformity with the Rules of the International Commis- 

 sion of Zoological Nomenclature. That this will now lead to uniformity can 

 hardly, we think, be doubted. The uniformity, however, to be useful must 

 be universal, and this universality can alone be arrived at by a strict 

 adherence to the letter of the Law of Priority, against which there must be 

 no appeal. It is only too notorious that the existing confusion has hitherto 

 arisen by authors having systematically disregarded this important principle 

 and individual tastes and fancies thus having been given free play, the 

 same bird has been redescribed under different names. In the circum- 

 stances is it surprising when we see in text-books a mass of synonyms 

 tagged on to each species ? 



That a large number of birds exhibit sub-species — by which term we mean 

 not a "species in the making", but a " varietas geographica ", a 

 geographical race — will not be denied ; and Ornithologists of the present 

 day are fully alive to the great importance of the separation definitely of 

 nearly allied forms of the same species. It is here that the Trinomial 

 arrangement comes into play ; and its use, not only helps us to speak with 

 absolute precision of a particular race of birds, which have hitherto been 

 binomially merged into other allied forms, but also helps to demonstrate 

 scientifically the close relationship existing between geographical races of 

 the same species. 



The International Rules of Zoological Nomenclature clearly lay down 

 how specific and sub-specific names shall, in the future, be accorded, and if 

 universal uniformity is one of the desiderata, then there can no longer be 

 any excuse for not adopting the principles everywhere. Henceforth 

 (Article 2) the scientific designation of animals will be Uninomial for 

 subgenera and all higher groups, Binomial for species, and Trinomial for 

 subspecies. The Law of priority (Article 27) lays down that the oldest 

 available name, even though it be inappropriate (Article 32), or " indicate 

 characters contrary to those possessed by the animals in question " 

 (Article 33) shall be adhered to. Doubtful cases, should any such arise, 

 will have to be cleared by careful nomenclatures, with the help of the 



