1893.] Editorials. ; 135 . 
The only body which has encouraged this abuse is the American 
Ornithologists Union, which in its rules straddles the question. One 
result of this position is that members of that body are not a unit in 
their opinions on this point. A concrete case is the lists of names 
published a half century ago by Fitzinger. In his early days this 
naturalist made a creditable beginning of scientific work, but he soon 
lapsed into a cataloguer and list-publisher. He projected comprehen- 
sive systems which have little or no correspondence with nature, and 
filled them out with names without definitions, many of which are not 
applicable to anything which can be defined. So well known has this 
- been in Europe that this work of his has been long since relegated to 
the waste heap, where it should by all means be permitted to remain. 
But the love of change has induced a few Americans at this late day 
to resuscitate this rubbish. No better motive can be ascribed for this 
resurrection, for it is not in accordance with existing rules; it is very 
inconvenient; and it opens the door to continued inconvenience of the 
same kind. It is a blow at scientific scholarship, and a distinct 
encouragement to dishonest work. i 
It is hardly likely that the botanists will split upon this rock. 
—THE late meetings of the American Society of Naturalists and 
the allied societies of morphologists, anatomists and physiologists, held 
at Princeton, N. J., brought together a representative body of the 
most active workers in the natural sciences of the eastern part of the 
country. The west was ably represented by members from Cincinnati, 
_ Denison and Chicago Universities. These meetings add to the pleas- 
ures of the holidays, supplementing family reunions by professional 
reunions of men bound together by similarity of tastes and modes of 
thought. The advantages of these meetings are various, but one most 
obvious one is the stimulus to care and precision which results from 
free and friendly criticism. After living in an atmosphere of this 
kind, the mind more fully appreciates the contrast between the more 
or less careless, not to say disingenuous habits of thought that are so 
common, and the clear, rational, and truthful attitude of the mind 
which is so conspicuous in the workers in the fields of science. The 
welcome given by President Patton was as clear and honest as the 
minds of the men he faced, and it was a welcome to truth, let it come 
from what quarter it may. : 
The ceded were ok from an assembly which should include 
suck a body of energetic workers as now constitute the Geological 
Society of America. In view of possible further segregation, a com- 
