Skftember is, 190:J.] 



SCIENCE. 



373 



Anotlier mode of interpreting these results 

 is to ealeulate the number of grams of brain- 

 weight per centimeter of stature (Table HI.)- 

 This shows that the relative brain-weight is 

 about the same in the races mentioned and 

 only in the very small Japanese individuals 

 is the ratio high. The small stature of these 

 people is therefore more characteristic of the 

 race than is the absolute brain-weight. 



Table 111. 

 Males. 



Grains per Centimeter of Statu 



As regards the relation of brain-weight and 

 body-weight there are bound to be great diver- 

 sities of opinion as to the average ratio. Bis- 

 choflF's ratio is 1 : 36.6 in males, 1 : 35.2 in 

 females. Vierordt's more extensive tables 

 give 1:46.3 in males, 1:44.8 in females. 

 Tagueiii finds 1:38.3 and 1:42.9 respectively 

 in his Japanese series. The weight of the 

 body is, however, a very unsatisfactory stand- 

 ard for comparison since the mode of death 

 and other factors exert a great influence upon 

 it. Such objections can not be raised against 

 employing the stature as a basis for estima- 

 ting relative brain-weight. 



To recapitulate, the brain of the Japanese 

 grows more slowly during infanc.v and early 

 youth than it does in the European. In the 

 adult the brain-weight compares favorably 

 with that of Europeans of similar stature and 

 it may be shown to be superior in this re- 

 spect to other races of the same general 

 stature. These facts are of not a little sig- 

 nificance in relation to the learning, industry 

 and aptitudes of this progressive race. 



E. A. Spitzka. 



(JOMUNKMIS VKKSUS GONIONEMA. 



Willi the growing multiplicity of names in 

 ziKilogical nmneiiclature and their great sim- 

 ilarity, altliuugli referring to widely different 

 forms, it is certainly a questionable practice 

 to change the name of any animal uidcss there 

 is urgent reason for doing so. 



It is well known that names of animals are 

 not all good etymology or derivation, but this 

 ^liould not be sufficient ground for changes. 

 A name once given an animal by proper au- 

 tliiirity is its name irrespective of et.ymology 

 or its signifieanee, and would better not be 

 changed in most cases for any less reason than 

 being preoccupied. 



As Gonioiwmiis is a jcllytish that will be 

 frequently referred to, on account of Its licing 

 used both in many experiments and in uni- 

 versities and colleges for class study, it is 

 desirable to have the form iif its name estab- 

 lished. 



Haeckel (' System der Aledusen ') first 

 changed Agassiz's naming of the genus to 

 ' (liiiiynema,' because he supposed the name 

 was intended to mean ' kneed thread.' And 

 in the light of Agassiz's description (' North 

 Am. Acalephae,' 1865), in which he said 

 ' * * * the moment a blade of kelp touches 

 tlieir disc, they stoj), bend their tentacles like 

 knees, and remain attached to the seaweed 

 * * *,' it is evident that he meant to use 

 for part of the name the word that refers to 

 knees. If the name were to be changed, 

 therefore, it should be Gonynemn, which 

 would also be correct in construction. 



The form of the name ' Gonionema ' was 

 first published by Yerkes (.4 m. Jour, of 

 Physiol., Vol. VII., Xo, 2) and since then 

 used by others, but here again only the ending 

 is corrected and it still remains to change the 

 end of the first part, making it (lonianema.* 

 Dr. Perkins (The Proc. of th' .Acad, of Nat. 



' Since the above was pnl inln ty]n- a letter 

 from Professor .■^gassiz stales lliat. in IS")!!, in 

 making tlie name Gonioiienuis he meant to sug- 

 gest ' sometliing witli knees browsing about in 

 live luigc kelp,' which reminded him of a grove. 

 .\erording to this, then, the part of the name 

 in <|nesti<i)i is from 'ncnius' and the original 

 ending is the ])io|ier one.. 



