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completed, and they hand over for publication the International Rules 

 of Zoological Nomenclature. 



These rules are drawn up in three languages, according to the reso- 

 lutions of the Congress, the French version being the standard in case 

 of uncertainty. They represent the code officially recognised and 

 adopted by the International Congress, and hence they supply for 

 the present needs of nomenclature the most rational and at the same 

 time the most practical basis, being founded as far as possible on 

 common-sense and strict equity. They include, further, two kinds of 

 formulae which may be easily distinguished : Rules, properly so called, 

 the systematic application of which is imperatively needed, for they 

 will introduce into zoology a uniformity now sadly lacking; and 

 Recommendations, which are only counsels dictated by experience and 

 the feeling of justice. 



In publishing to-day these International Rules, the Congress makes 

 no pretension to having finally completed a definitive task. Just as the 

 rules which were sufficient for the time of Linne are not adequate for 

 our needs, so the code which we consider sufficient to-day will surely 

 be judged incomplete by our successors. Science is constantly pro- 

 gressing, and in its progress new questions arise for which new 

 solutions must be found. 



Furthermore, it is impossible to compel the zoologists of different 

 countries to make use of these rules, and the International Commission 

 has no idea of posing as a legal tribunal which would have no means 

 of enforcing its decisions. It considers that it will be sufficient to appeal 

 to the good sense of zoologists and to invoke the interest for science 

 which inspires them, in order to induce them to adopt the rules which 

 have been so long discussed by learned men of all countries, and 

 whose only object is to establish between naturalists a uniformity of 

 language without which science would be only a chaos of vain words. 



The International Commission as now constituted will perform the 

 needful duty of studying all questions relating to nomenclature which 

 may arise from day to day ; it will study them in a spirit of moderation 

 and be careful to maintain in nomenclature those conservative prin- 

 ciples without which there can be neither uniformity nor tradition. 



Every zoologist has the right, we might almost say the duty, to sub- 

 mit to it the difficulties which present themselves to him ; it is not a 

 tribunal giving sentence without appeal, but a council of friendly 

 colleagues who have made a special study of the principles of nomen- 

 clature and are familiar with the difficulties presented by their practical 

 application ; it will examine impartially the questions submitted to it, 

 seeking the most judicious solutions according to the recognised rules, 



