October 4, 1912] 



SCIENCE 



437 



non-binomial generic names, leaving Amia in- 

 stead of Amiatus for the bowfin, but I follow 

 the decisions of my colleagues. We can not 

 use the same name for two genera. The list of 

 genera, the retention of which is desired as 

 printed in Science, contains 38 names, the 

 changing of most of which has been unpleasant 

 to taxonomists as well as to others. But these 

 38 we would like to keep are very few among 

 the thousands of generic names which only 

 a recognition of the law of priority and of 

 some law for fixing the type of incongruous 

 genera can hope to regulate. 

 The second proposed rule is this : 

 The transfer of generic or specific names from 

 one genus or species to another shall not be allowed 

 when this will lead to lasting confusion or error. 



This reads fairly, but it is not possible to 

 give it definite application. Some names oc- 

 cur so frequently in literature that they may 

 be said to be definitely fixed. Most names the 

 world over have only a tentative status. The 

 fauna of the world is very large, and we are 

 only at the beginning of our knowledge of it. 

 The fauna of western Europe, to which many 

 of the 38 names belong, is only a minute frag- 

 ment of it. The main source of confusion 

 and error is, however, in leaving a name where 

 it does not belong, after its right place or 

 right usage has been made clear. But if this 

 rule could be lucidly framed so as to permit 

 regularity of application, it has its merits. 



The third proposition, the rejection of cer- 

 tain authors on their merits as non-binomial, 

 has its advantages. The non-binomial writ- 

 ings of Brisson and Gronow have been ac- 

 cepted by the commission. A non-binomial 

 condensed reprint of Klein has been rejected. 

 Either view of the case, if generally followed, 

 leads to stability. Before the ruling of the 

 commission Brisson's names were accepted by 

 a majority, those of Gronow, on the same foot- 

 ing, by a minority. The commission has voted 

 to accept both. The matter is likely to come 

 up again at the Monaco meeting. 



The fourth proposition, the rejection of non- 

 scientific catalogues, newspapers and the like, 

 might be reasonable if it could be properly de- 

 fined. 



The vital thing is the recognition of law as 

 superior to personal preference or temporary 

 convenience. The " deplorable results " of 

 adherence to the rigid rule of priority are as a 

 drop in the bucket compared to the " deplor- 

 able results " that have followed the go-as-you- 

 please acceptance, rejection or change of 

 generic and specific names. And this latter 

 form of " deplorable results " does not trouble 

 the non-systematist who uses scientific names 

 casually as labels for his preparations or who 

 may deal with a small part of a long-known 

 fauna. They vex the systematist who must 

 map out and record some broad part of the 

 vast system of the life of the globe. In his 

 bookkeeping he must follow the same methods 

 throughout regardless of local usage or of per- 

 sonal preferences. David Starr Jordan 



THE PHYSIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SEG- 

 MENTED STRUCTURE OF STRIATED MUSCLE 



To THE Editor of Science: In my article, 

 " The Physiological Significance of the Seg- 

 mented Structure of Striated Muscle," pub- 

 lished in your issue of August 23, I make, on 

 page 251, the following criticism of certain 

 current hypotheses of muscular contraction: 



A further disadvantage of the "swelling-hy- 

 potheses" — ^as contrasted with the surface-tension 

 hypothesis — is that they offer no suggestion as to 

 the nature of the connection between the electrical 

 variation accompanying contraction and the con- 

 tractile process itself. 



Some qualification of this statement is now 

 necessary. In Pauli's recent article, " Kol- 

 loidchemie der Muskelkontraktion " (Th. 

 Steinkopff, 1912), which has reached me since 

 my article was printed, an attempt is made to 

 refer the negative variation to the formation 

 of acid-protein compounds within the muscle- 

 cell. Such compounds would yield on dissocia- 

 tion mobile anions, e. g., lactate ions, and im- 

 mobile or colloidal cations. On the assump- 

 tion of a free permeability of the plasma-mem- 

 brane to these anions, the formation of such 

 compounds would theoretically give rise to a 

 negative variation. But this conception ap- 

 pears to me insufiicient to account for the en- 

 tire phenomena of action and demarcation 



