120 
Incidentally it shows with what regularity 
these birds resort to certain chosen roosting 
places. J. H. Comstock and J. G. Needham 
bring to a conclusion the fourth chapter on 
“The Wings of Insects,’ which treats of ‘ The 
Specialization of Wings by Addition,’ and ter- 
minates that portion of the series devoted to 
furnishing data for determining the homologies 
of the veins. Arnold E. Ortmann discusses 
“New Facts lately presented in opposition to 
the Bipolarity of Marine Faunas,’ stating that 
they do not at all support the theory of bi- 
polarity and that we must wait for further in- 
vestigation to show whether bipolarity as a 
relic of older times is realized in the distribu- 
tion of any marine animals. The first of the 
promised ‘Synopses of North American Inver- 
tebrates,’ by C. B. Davenport, is devoted to the 
‘Fresh-water Bryozoa.’ A brief sketch of the 
habits and habitats of these animals is given, 
followed by a key for their specific determina- 
tion and a bibliography of literature on Fresh- 
water Bryozoa. W. E. Praeger presents some 
‘Notes on the Habits of Bascanion Constrictor,’ 
which contains good evidence as to the climb- 
ing abilities of thissnake. Leonhard Stejneger, 
under the title ‘A New Name for the Great 
Crested Anolis of Jamaica,’ shows that there 
has been a curious unanimity in misnaming this 
reptile Anolis edwardsii and proposes for it the 
name of: Anolis garmani. 
THE June number of the Journal of the Boston 
Society of Medical Science brings the third 
volume of this periodical to a close. The index 
shows that it contains sixty-five papers con- 
tributed by forty-five investigators. While 
there is a greater tendency towards patholog- 
ical subjects than formerly, there is yet very 
much of interest to the comparative anatomist. 
In the present number Calvin G. Page has a 
‘Study of Streptococci isolated from Throat 
Cultures from Patients Il] with Scarlet Fever,’ 
and a ‘Preliminary Report on the Diplococcus 
of Scarlet Fever.’ Theodore Hough and Bertha 
G. Ballantyne give a ‘ Preliminary Note on the 
Effects of Changes in External Temperature on 
the Circulation of Blood in the Skin,’ andS. A. 
Hopkins presents a preliminary report on 
‘Bacteria and Dental Caries,’ stating that he 
has not yet been able to deduce from his experi- 
SCIENCE. 
[N.S. Vou. X. No. 239. 
ments any definite laws or positive results. 
Theobald Smith describes and figures ‘Some 
Devices for the Cultivation of Anaérobie Bac- 
teria in Fluid Media without the Use of Inert 
Gases.’ 
DISCUSSION AND CORRESPONDENCE. 
ABOUT A REFORM IN NOMENCLATURE. 
In the ‘Nomenclator Zoologicus’ of Scud- 
der 80,000 genera are mentioned and there are 
7,585 genera of phanerogamia. Human memory 
is unable to retain all these arbitrary names 
(languages have from 20,000 to 30,000 words 
each) and the result of it all is that ‘‘ the lan- 
guage of science is more difficult than science 
itself.’? Even professed naturalists cannot guess 
what the Mormops megalophylla or the Cero- 
plastes psidii is. It is high time to repair this 
mischief by introducing the reform following : 
1. The generic names of animals shall end in 
us, those of plants, in a, and those of minerals 
in 7. 
2. Minerals shall have a genus formed with 
the abbreviations of their components. Thus 
Sulphurzinct sphalerita indicates a mineral (i), 
a Sulphur (Sulph.) of zine (zinci), of the species 
sphalerita. 
3. Plants shall have their genus preceded 
by the abbreviation of their family. Thus 
Rosaspirxa limbata indicates a Rosacea (Rose), 
of the genus spirza and the species limbata, 
plant (a). 
4. The genus of animals shall be relegated to 
special lists, substituting for those in common 
use the abbreviations of their class and family 
or order. Thus Inscoccidus psidii indicates an 
animal (us), insect (ins.), coccide (coccidus) be- 
longing to the species psidii. The family (Coc- 
ciceroplastus psidii) is more difficult of inter- 
pretation, since at least 1,000 families of ani- 
mals have been accepted. 
5. In ease there be two similar species in the 
same family of animals their genus shall be 
cited. 
The reform proposed does not alter or change 
anything, but facilitates research, as well as the 
applications, popularization and teaching of 
science. There are no future inconveniences 
in the acceptance of this reform. No Inter- 
