1890. ] Editorial. 551 
by Major Powell, and were adopted by the votes of the members 
and beneficiaries of his survey, while opposing resolutions were 
voted down by the same persons. It is stated that after the result 
was reached Major Powell said that he did not desire the meeting 
of the Congress in Washington. This is quite probable. It is an 
old political method to profess to desire one thing while in the 
act of doing another, and persons who have had relations with the 
present head of the Geological Survey know that he is a thorough 
master of this kind of diplomacy. Professor Lesley, however, 
appears to have been taken in by it. We suspect that the Bureau 
of the Congress will not be taken in, and that they will not be 
seriously incommoded by these exhibitions which mean nothing 
but personal idiosyncrasy. 
—TueE Zoological Congress of Paris of 1889 has formulated 
a series of rules for the guidance of zoologists in the adoption 
and use of correct nomenclature. These reaffirm those proposed 
by the British Association for the Advancement of Science of a 
half century ago, and those adopted by the American Associa- 
tion at two different periods since that date. They insist, among 
other things, on the necessity of the presentation of a distinct 
diagnosis with a new name, in order to secure it recognition. 
This reaffirmation of the principal bulwark of honest nomencla- 
ture should serve as a hint to the American Ornithologists’ Union 
to revise their somewhat ambiguous utterances on this subject ; 
which savor more of the antiquarian than of the scientist. 
—TueE Zoological Society of Philadelphia has recently added 
some rare animals to its collection. The wolverine has been. 
very seldom seen in confinement, and the possession of two 
specimens is a piece of good fortune on which the Society and 
superintendent are to be congratulated. The greatest novelties 
known have been in the department of reptiles, where a number 
of rare species from Florida and Arizona have been exhibited 
for the firsttime. Two new species have been received, and have 
been described by Superintendent Brown. They are the Extenia 
nigrilateralis, from Arizona, and a new genus of Calamarian snakes 
from Florida. The latter is the most noteworthy addition whici: 
has been made to North American herpetology for several years, 
