914 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XXIII. No. 598. 



identical with those numerous cases in which 

 authors describe a new genus based upon a 

 specific description, without separate generic 

 diagnosis, but headed X-us alhus new genus, 

 new species. 



In reply to a question relative to the cor- 

 rect date of a genus based upon a generic 

 description, but without accompanying specific 

 name or specific description, he stated that he 

 considered the date of publication of said 

 genus the correct date. He saw no difficulty 

 in taking a later specific name as type of an 

 earlier generic name; such action is common, 

 for instance, in case of renamed species, and 

 no confusion arises therefrom. Thus, lance- 

 atum (1896) is lanceolatum (1803) renamed, 

 and is type of Dicrocoslium (1845). In all 

 cases, however, the species in question must 

 have been included in the genus from the 

 standpoint of the author of the genus. An- 

 other case in point is Dioctophyme (1802), 

 which, as the illustrations and habitat show, 

 was clearly based upon renale (1782), although 

 renale was not mentioned by name. 



In reference to the arrangement to be fol- 

 lowed in publishing genera, he stated that as 

 secretary of the International Commission he 

 had been obliged to consult numerous articles 

 by various authors in fields outside of his own 

 specialty, and that he had found the plan pro- 

 posed by Dr. Evermann and as adopted by 

 President Jordan and his coworkers to be the 

 most convenient of any arrangement he had 

 seen. Only one improvement occurred to 

 him, namely, to give a reference to the family 

 in connection with every generic diagnosis. 

 He suggested the following as an ideal plan 

 which would enable any author to comprehend 

 the writings on groups with which he was not 

 thoroughly familiar and as aiding the indexer 

 in indexing the genera: 



Eqtjus Linnteus, 1758. 



1758: Equus Linnteus, 1758, 73-74, Syst. nat., 10 

 ed. (type caballus; Eurasia) ; equus Latin, 

 horse. 



1815: Calallus Rafinesque, 1815, 55, Analyse de 

 la Nature {Equus 1758 renamed, type 

 eabaUus) ; caballus Latin, horse. Generic 

 diagnosis. — Equidiae (p. — [refer here to 

 page of family diagnosis] ) : [write generic 

 diagnosis here]. 



The object of this arrangement is to enable 

 a zoologist who is not acquainted with the 

 recognized systematic position of a genus or 

 with any possible differences of opinion on 

 this point, to find the information he desires 

 in the shortest possible time. 



Further, many authors do not give in their 

 entire article any clue to the family, ordinal 

 or even class disposition of .the new genera 

 they publish or their idea as to the position 

 of old genera. 



The family diagnosis should give a clue to 

 the order in which the family is classified. 

 If this arrangement were adopted, any author 

 could begin with a species and trace its sys- 

 tematic position without the slightest diffi- 

 culty. 



Dr. B. W. Evermann urged the desirability 

 of Dr. Stiles's scheme and read the following 

 rules, which have been promulgated by the 

 U. S. Bureau of Fisheries as requirements to 

 be observed by authors submitting to the 

 bureau papers containing names of new gen- 

 era or species : 

 New Genera. 



1. Designate the family in which the pro- 

 posed new genus belongs. 



2. Designate the species taken as the type 

 of the new genus. 



New Species. 



3. A single specimen shall be designated as 

 the type of the species. 



4. Other specimens studied at the same time 

 and believed to be conspecific with the type 

 should be designated as cotypes. 



5. The size and condition of the type, the 

 museum in which it is deposited, and the 

 ntunber which it bears on the register of said 

 museum shall be given. 



6. The type locality, collector and date of 

 collecting must be given. 



The same rules apply to subgenera and 

 subspecies. 



The types of all new species first described 

 in the publications of this bureau will, except 

 in exceptional cases, be deposited in the U. S, 

 National Museum. 



The second paper was by Dr. Eodney H. 

 True on ' The Cultivation of Tea in the 

 United States,' and was illustrated with Ian- 



