526 EDITORIAL 
production or their opposed evolutionary functions. It does 
not discriminate between those features which are codperative 
and world-wide, on the one hand, and those which are local and 
adventitious on the other. 
Several terms are used tentatively in the indicated article to 
designate the true sea-generated terrace. Of these ‘“circum- 
IGG 
continental terrace, pericoastal terrace,” and “peripheral ter- 
race” are neither brief nor especially euphonious, and only 
partially imply the most important relationships of the forma- 
tion. The term ‘sea shelf” is in many respects suitable, as it 
indicates the configuration, in a measure, and implies, or is 
susceptible of implying, adaptation to the reception of sediments 
and to the support of littoral life —the two most vital functions 
which it is desired to express; but it is not clear that the phrase 
is sufficiently different from the already adopted ‘continental 
shelf” to make it easy to develop a technical distinction in its 
usage. It has, however, the merit of implying a general and 
not a limited phenomenon, as is somewhat obscurely suggested 
in ‘‘continental shelf.” This general sense is peculiarly appro- 
priate, since the terrace is as universal (at least in its initial 
stages) as the sea border, and is a necessary consequence 
of the relations of sea and land. It may, perhaps, be best to 
use the universal term ‘‘sea shelf” for the true genetic phases 
of the submarine terrace, and to leave ‘‘continental shelf” to be 
used in its present undifferentiated application to the submerged 
border of a continent without regard to its specific genesis. But 
this suggestion is made with the most tentative intent. 
The matter is here discussed not to propose a name for 
acceptance, but with the quite opposite purpose of filing a caveat 
in behalf of a free consideration of the merits of terms and a 
provisional use of them until experience shall bring into clear 
realization precisely what needs to be named and what terms 
best supply the need. The basal idea of the doctrine of mul- 
tiple working hypotheses is applicable to nomenclature as well 
as geologic theory, and its use here is suggested. The subject is 
believed to have sufficient importance to justify it. T. C. C. 
