576 Correspondence — Prof. T. Rupert Jones. 



of their study. His enthusiasm, his energy, his genial humour and 

 his far-travelled experience would often keep the attention of his 

 youthful hearers for a full hour beyond the appointed lecture-time ; 

 and, though his voice has for some years been silent, his memory 

 will not yet cease to be dear to all who had the privilege of 

 knowing him. 



Thomas Pallister Barkas, F.G.S., was stricken with paralysis 

 about a month prior to his death, which we regret to record occurred 

 on the 18th of July last. He was born in Newcastle on the 5th of 

 March, 1819, and in his early days was a well-known lecturer in 

 his native city on scientific and literary subjects. To geologists he 

 is best known by his "Coal-measure Palseontology " (1873), illus- 

 trative of the fauna of the Northumberland Coal Field. In this 

 book he figured numerous specimens preserved in his own collection, 

 and others which he had given to the local museums. Mr. Barkas 

 was a great populariser of his favourite science, and took a warm 

 interest in the Newcastle-on-Tyne Natural History Museum. 



coiaE,:Es:E'Oisr3DEn:srGs. 



CONCERNING NOMENCLATUEE. 

 Sir, — In reading Mr. J. W. Gregory's Eevision of the British 

 Tertiary Echinoidea in the " Proceedings of the Geologists' Associa- 

 tion," voh i. parts 1 and 2, 1891, I was, of course, impressed with 

 the industry and acumen of the author, but I was much grieved at 

 finding that ten of the original specific names given by Professor 

 Edward Forbes in 1852 are maltreated by arbitrary and unnecessary 

 alteration, after the latest fashion of pseudo-classical nomenclaturists, 

 who propose to bring specific names to one artificial form and standard. 

 They forget that the original " Woodii," for instance, is preferable 

 to Woodi, being more euphonious, — and that a name may be as 

 lawfully latinized after the plan of Junius as of luhis ; and that 

 there are as many Roman names ending in ius as in us. Further it 

 seems to be forgotten, or not known, that the genitive in a specific 

 proper name indicates the author's intention of honouring the dis- 

 coverer of the specimen, whereas the adjectival form, as Branderianus, 

 has reference to one otherwise connected with the species. Thus, 

 to change " Hemiaster Branderianus'' to H. Branderi is to falsify, not 

 only the fact in nomenclature, but the author's intention to indicate 

 the method and degree in which he meant to honour the person 

 named. The reduction of capitals in specific names, as in branderi, 

 is unworthy of real literateurs, convenient to printers, if any of 

 them wish to save a little arm-stretching in composing the type, — 

 and depriving both beginners and experts of seeing at a glance some 

 indication of the scientific history of the species. Linne's method of 

 giving initial capital to any noun used as a specific name is far 

 preferable to the new fashion, which is probably based on the 

 unimportant circumstance that in ancient inscriptions only uncial 

 and uniform letters were used. T. Kupert Jones. 



