of the British Museum Catalogue. 203 



in an alcoholic condition ; for the European 

 the most poorly pro vid 

 American, one of the 



unknown to Dr. Giinther, for it is unfortunate i'or American 

 students that his works in respect to our fauna are of less value 

 than in any other department It must, however, be added, 

 that some of the older American authors in this field have been 

 quite as bad in another direction, and in respect to furnisliing 

 well contrasted specific diagnoses, exceedinglv dcrt'lict. This 

 has been especially apparent in those who induluv in the ex- 

 ecrable practice of publishing preliminarv lU'^criptions tn "se- 

 cure priority." This, unless reduced to a svstein ni niialytic 

 keys, is nothing but a hindrance to scieiu'c. and n-ults in 

 warning all students off the ground but the writer, an ^'i jtrt 

 which it is safe to presume, he generally lias in \ irw. 



The system then, presented by the Catalo-uf ..t' the Batrachia 

 Salientia (Anura), is a phenomenon in the history of our sci- 

 ence, and is to my mind one of the least successful of the 

 attempts of shin-zoology to interpret nature. That I intended 

 my remark made on a former occasion,* that it was a " complete 

 and practically useful system," in a euphemistic, if not a pick- 

 wickian sense, would, I should think, be sufficiently obvious to 

 any who should compare my system with it But it is neither 

 euphemistic nor pickwickian for subsequent authors to follow 

 me in abolishing nearly all its leading features and in newly 

 defining all the groups, and then to declare that they adopt 

 Giinther- s system with a few modifications introduced by me. 



In accordance with Giinther's system, he was compelled to 

 conclude that the Anura do not display any of the remarkable 



have shown to be most erroneous, and that the Anura of all 

 groups, represent the wonderful faunal relations of geographical 

 areas in the strongest light,— in a way not less distinct than any 

 known order of animals or plants. . . 



, As opposed to these valuable results, we have the position, 

 ""' " ^ • - classification" should "repose "" "-" ""- 



ternal and readily ascertainable characters," and that it ^s " well 

 to turn to such other (characters) as can easily be observed ;t all 

 which we suppose will only interfere with the progress of 

 knowledge where sincerely believed and held. 

 * On Primary divisions of Batrachia Salientia, Nat. Hist. Rev 1865. 

 . t Mivart, Proc. Z. S. London. 1869. 281-2. Tliis author makes ^some cunoua 



roups 1 a point 

 relation indTcates^forrSactlr^rrert^' fixed grade o 





(apecifie) and some highest, a 



