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EDITOEIAL GLEANINGS. 



' Index Animalium.' — By ' ludex Animalium ' is meant an index to the 

 generic and trivial names (which together make the specific name) given to 

 all animals, whether fossil or recent, by all authors between the years 1758 

 and 1900. Such an index aims at providing (1) a complete list, (2) a com- 

 plete entry for proper quotation, (3) an exact date to each entry. The com- 

 pilation of this great list was commenced by Mr. C. Davies-Sherborn in 

 1889, and the MS. is housed under the care of Dr. Henry Woodward at the 

 British Museum (Nat. Hist.). Dr. Woodward, who, with the late Sir W. 

 Flower and Dr. Giinther, takes special interest in the work, offered the loan 

 of the necessary cabinets for the slips, and the space necessary for the 

 cabinets, so as to ensure safety from fire or other destructive agencies. The 

 British Association, the Royal Society, and the Zoological Society have 

 assisted with funds ; while other Societies have assisted with books, or 

 given various facilities for study. The present Committee appointed by 

 the British x\s80ciation consists of Dr. Henry Woodward (Chairman), Dr. 

 Sclater, Mr. Hoyle, the Sev. T. R. Stebbing, Mr. McLachlan, and Mr. 

 Bather. About two years ago Dr. Sclater suggested that a special effort 

 should be made to get ready for publication the first portion (1758-1800). 

 This has now been done, and the question of printing is under dis- 

 cussion. At the same time it may be mentioned that many thousands of 

 slips belonging to the 1801-1850 portion are already prepared, and the 

 printing of one part and the compilation of the other will go on simul- 

 taneously. Such a labour of love — for it really amounts to that — should 

 prove of considerable use to those who live away from libraries ; while to 

 librarians it will be of incalculable benefit, if it only induces a proper 

 method of quotation, instead of the slipshod present method, only too 

 common even among entomologists. A special point about the references 

 is that they include not only the original, but also each case in which the 

 trivial name has been associated with another generic name. The compiler 

 has carefully avoided synonymy, and has arranged his entries under species 

 in one alphabet, in which the generic names fall into their proper places. 

 During the progress of the work Mr. Sherborn has published numerous 

 papers on the dates of books that were issued in parts, perhaps the most 

 valuable of which to an entomologist are those dealing with Hiibner and 

 Esper. It is calculated that Part I. will deal with 60,000 entries, and no 



