February 24, 1893.] 



SCIENCE. 



105 



these inscriptions which I show will give an idea of some of these 

 unknown signs. They are three in number, and fair examples 

 of hundreds to be seen in the localities referred to. One was 

 copied by Barth at a place southwest of Fezzan; the second by 

 Captain Bernard, near Laghouat; the third by Captain Boucher, 

 near Figuig While each presents letters identical with some in 

 the Touareg alphabet, or in the Numidian mortuary inscriptions, 

 the majority of the letters belong to neither class. 



It is the opinion of some careful students, therefore, and it 

 seems evident, that for a portion of the ancient Libyan alphabet 

 we must look elsewhere than to a Semitic source. The question 

 is a new one; but there can scarcely be more than one answer to 

 it. We must look directly to Egypt, whence the Semitic alpha- 

 bets themselves must finally trace their origin. Nor does such 

 an answer present the least historic difficulty. Earlier than the 

 tw.elfth century, B.C., there were direct and much-travelled 

 caravan routes from the heart of the Berber country into Egypt. 

 "I have not the slightest doubt," writes Barth, " that the Imos- 

 hagh (Touaregs) are represented in the ancient sculptures of 

 Egypt as the Tamhu and the Mashawash." We are well aware 

 that thousands of Berber soldiers were enlisted in the Egyptian 

 armies in the Ramesside epoch. The high culture they possessed 

 is attested by the catalogue of spoils in the inscription of Merenp- 

 tah. Unquestionably they became familiar with the various 

 methods of writing in vogue in Egypt at that period. 



In his latest work, Mr. Flinders Petrie maintains that the let- 

 ters of the Phoenician alphabet were derived directly from Egypt; 

 it is quite likely that one or more of the earliest Berber alphabets 

 were also derived directly from the same venerable seat of cul- 

 ture, adopting, in part, signs identical, in part, diverse from the 

 multiform Phoenician alphabets of the earliest epochs. Inter- 

 course with the Semitic traders and colonists led to a greater or 

 less unification of the methods of writing, as has occurred in so 

 many other instances; so that the Libyan alphabet of the third 

 century, B.C.. was easily enough mistaken for a daughter, 

 instead of a sister, of that in use by the Carthaginians. But 

 they never reached a complete identity, and as the farther we go 

 back, the greater seems the diversity, the theory of an indepen- 

 dent origin appears to be alone that which will satisfy the facts 

 in the case; and this theory has in itself a high historic proba- 

 bility. 



The principal works to be consulted, copies of all of which 

 from my owo library I lay before you, are the following: — 



Faidherbe, •' Collection Complete des Inscriptions Numid- 

 iques." 



Hanoteaii, " Essai de Grammaire Kabyle." 



Hanoteau, " Essai de Grammaire de la Langue Tamachek." 



Halevy, " Es.iai d'Epigraphie Libyque." 



Bissuel. " Les Touaregs de I'Ouest." 



Ba=set, '• Notes de Lexicographie Berbere." 



Rinn, '• Les Origines Berberes." 



Numerous articles on the rupestrian inscriptions are scattered 

 through the Revue d'Ethnographie. VAnfhropologie, etc. As the 

 subject is one, I believe, entirely new to American Orientalists, 

 and as it may possibly prove of considerable significance in the 

 history of the development of Mediterranean civilization, this 

 brief presentation of it will, I trust, lead to further researches. 



LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. 



#•« Correspondents are requested to he as brief as possible. The writer's name 

 is in all cases required as proof of good faith. 



On reqtwst in advance^ one hundred copies of the number containing his 

 communication trill be furnished free to any correspondent. 



The editor will be glad to publish any queries consonant with the character 

 of the journal. 



The Trinomial Question in Nomenclature. 



I WOULD like to say just a word in relation to the article by Mr. 

 C. Michener of San Francisco, which appeared in the Oct. 28 

 number of Science. 



Whatever may be the views of others on this point, I maintain 

 that there is an ethical side in nomenclature. My article was 

 written largely from that point of view, the matter of "conven- 

 ience" is of secondary importance. 



When an author names and gives a recognizable description 

 of a species, the latter becomes in a certain measure his indi- 

 vidual property. (I feel safe in saying that this view is held by 

 many others beside myself.) A later author who attempts to 

 claim this species violates a law of ethics. 



Mr Michener's whole article hinges on this one point: Is there 

 an ethical side in nomenclature ? I leave my critics to answer 

 this question. If there is, then the question arises: Shall justice 

 be sacrificed to convenience? 



Considering the matter of convenience, there is nopoint gained, 

 in pursuing tne course supported in the above article, which is 

 important enough to warrant this violation of rights. Of the 

 two evils, inconvenience and injustice, we should choose the les- 

 ser. We should put up with the inconvenience, which is at best 

 slight. Taking the example cited: If H. and A. have described 

 five species by the name of ma! achr aides, then look each one up. 

 It is safe to say that the necessity for doing this will not occur 

 once in ten times. Again, let him who desires to find the char- 

 acters of H. malachroides, H. and A., look at some later work, 

 Greene's for instance, or any other. He will probably find, with 

 little trouble, the genus Hesperalcea. If it is contained in some 

 recent paper and he cannot find it, he is not conversant with the 

 literature on the subject; and the sooner he becomes conversant, 

 the better for his work. 



The amount of truth which a name conveys depends entirely 

 upon our understanding of what it represents. It is accepted by 

 the majority of the scientific public (I refer especially to zoolo- 

 gists) that the third term of the trinomial represents the founder 

 of the species. If it were understood to represent the reviser 

 who placed the species in its present generic position, of course 

 Mr Michener's argument would be valid. I know that the view 

 here opposed is the one more generally held among botanists. 

 But I believe it is growing in disapprobation. The opposite view 

 is almost universally adopted by zoologists, and is, I believe, the 

 rational and just one. C. H. Tyler Tovtnsend. 



Agricultural College, Las Cruces, N. M., Nov. 5. 



Notes on the Fauna of the Dry Regions. 



In Science for Dec. 23, 1893, my friend, Mr. A. Stephens, re- 

 cords an instance of a captive pocket-mouse (Perognathus) living 

 for over two years without water or any food from which any 

 amount of moisture could have been obtained; and, from the fact 

 of water having been offered, it is plain that its abstinence was 

 entirely voluntary. 



That many birds and mammals inhabiting the desert regions 

 of the southwest live for many months without any other moist- 

 ure than that obtained from the food they eat, is well known to 

 those who have studied zoology in these regions. And the study 

 of the various sources from which the fauna of the and plains of 

 New Mexico and Arizona draws its supply of moisture offers a 

 very inviting field. 



In the low deserts of these territories rain seldom falls after 

 March or before September. Often nine or ten months pass by 

 without rain in sufficient quantities to form pools or streams where 

 water could be obtained by the birds or mammals of these sandy 

 wastes. 



During the summer of 1886 I made my headquarters at a min- 

 ing camp near the southwestern corner of New Mexico, in the 

 midst of the dry regions. Water could only be obtained from a 

 small spring ten miles west of camp, and no rain fell after my 

 arrival, on Feb. 28, until some time about the last of August. 



Birds and mammals were quite plentiful about my camp, many 

 of the former nesting and raising broods of young, which reached 

 maturity and, in some cases, migrated before they made the ac- 

 quaintance of a drop of wafer. 



In the case of the insectivorous species some moisture was ob- 

 tained from their food, which was more or less juicy. But the 

 sparrows and seed eating species must have thought it a "long 

 time between drinks," as their food was of the dryest possible 

 kind. 



During the fall, after the various species of cacti had ripened 

 their fruits, I frequently found them torn open by mocking-birdf 



