164 



to object to his STirnamej as unnecessary, because he has 

 a christian (or specific*) one which is the exponent of 

 him alone. True it is that his family (or generic) title 

 applies to the rest of his kin also ; but, since there are 

 other people (of other families) who may have the same 

 individual appellation as himself, it is clearly desirable, 

 even as a matter of expediency alone, that patronymic 

 and christian name should be alike retained. We need 

 not, however, plead expediency, in favour of this accept- 

 ance of what has been so long tested, and shown to be 

 correct ; we appeal to a higher tribunal, — that of expe- 

 rience, — in proof that it draws its origin from Nature 

 itself, and is implied by the very existence, or reality, of 

 natural groups. The 'Methode Mononomique ' has indeed 

 been attemptedf; and it has failed, — or at any rate it 

 has shown itself to be inferior, both ideally and in prac- 

 tice, to the plan commonly in use : and if I might be 

 pardoned a passing conjecture on its ultimate success, I 

 should be inclined, since it is contrary to the canon of 

 the organic world, to regard its case as utterly hopeless. 

 Let us not be unfair, however, towards those who have 

 sought to establish a nomenclature which they conceived 

 would be less open to objections than that which we have 

 been hitherto accustomed to endorse. The notion did, 



* In selecting this simple method to illustrate the principle of a 

 binomial system of nomenclature, it is scarcely necessary to remind 

 the reader that I do not intend to imply that every man is specifically 

 distinct from his neighbour ! 



t Considerations sur un Nouveau Systeme de Nomenclature, par 

 C. J. B. Amyot [Rev. ZooL, p. 133, a.d. 1838). 



