1883. ] Editors’ Table, 1041 
and simple scheme of the natural sciences, which I have endeav- 
ored to set forth in the subjoined table: 
NATURAL SCIENCES. | INORGANIC NATURE | ORGANIC NATURE. 
DESCRIPTIVE. NERAL PHYSIOGRAPHY. T 
General Physiography Deseriptive ae Systematic Organo 
Min Descriptive oak Shematic 
Natural History. Geo oenosy ; T. $ Botany and Zoölogy 
> Descriptive Astronomy 
PHILOSOPHICAL. MINERAL PHYSIOLOGY. BORE YSIOLOGY. 
General Physiology eyes s2 z it 
‘OF Chem Dekoni Morbio 
Natural, Philosophy. Ge stare Physiological 
Theoretical Aontan. Botany and Zoölogy 
RE 
EDITORS’ TABLE. 
EDITORS: A. S. PACKARD, JR., AND E. D. COPE. 
—— Without doubt a most serious objection to the study of 
natural history, in the minds of young people and also older ama- 
teurs, is the technical language used by specialists, Nomencla- 
ture, botanical and zodlogical, is the pons asinorum of those who 
are not always dull in intellect, or who have even a smattering of 
Latin and Greek. Technical words, however, are necessary for 
brevity and conciseness of expression, and for use in a polyglot 
Science. 
Changes in nomenclature are also a great ey vexing the ama- 
teur mind most sorely. But by the application of the law of 
Priority and holding specialists to binomial names, we shall after 
awhile arrive at a reasonable amount of uniformity. The late 
Professor Wyman abominated excessive nomenclature, and used 
to declare his belief that specific and generic names should be 
abolished and species, at least, numbered 1, 2, 3, € 
ut now comes a new source of vexation to i ay biologist. 
We refer to the use of lower-case initials in writing the generic 
Name, either alone or coupled with the specific name, with an 
initial in lower-case type. While certain ornithologists are to be 
condemned for using a cumbersome trinomial nomenclature, cer- 
tain entomologists and editors adopt the usage of librarians and 
bibliomaniacs and write Turdus migratorius, turdus migrutorius. 
e have of late years, for the sake of uniformity with English 
and German writers (though much against our will), written spe- 
Cific names derived from proper names in lower-case initials, and 
