Proposed Reform of Zoological Nomenclature. 208 
mists, of mineralogists, has been of late years devoted to fixing their 
respective languages on a sound basis. Why, then, do zoologists 
hesitate in performing the same duty? at a time, too, when all 
acknowledge the evils of the present anarchical state of their science. 
It is needless to inquire far into the causes of the present con- 
fusion of zoological nomenclature, It is in great measure the 
result of the same branch of science having been followed in distant 
countries by persons who were either unavoidably ignorant of 
each other’s labours, or who neglected to inform themselves sufh- 
ciently of the state of the science in other regions. And when we 
remark the great obstacles which now exist to the circulation of 
books beyond the conventional limits of the states in which they 
happen to be published, it must be admitted that this ignorance 
of the writings of others, however unfortunate, is yet in great 
measure pardonable. But there is another source for this evil, 
which is far less excusable,—the practice of gratifying individual 
vanity by attempting, on the most frivolous pretexts to cancel the 
terms established by original discoverers, and to substitute a new 
and unauthorised nomenclature in their place. One author lays 
down as a rule, that no specific names should be derived from 
geographical sources, and unhesitatingly proceeds to insert words 
of his own in all such cases; another declares war against names 
of exotic origin, foreign to the Greek and Latin; a third excom- 
municates all words which exceed a certain number of syllables ; 
a fourth cancels all names which are complimentary of individuals, 
and so on, till universality and permanence, the two great essentials 
of scientific language, are utterly destroyed. 
It is surely, then, an object well worthy the attention of the 
Zoological Section of the British Association for the Advancement 
of Science to devise some means which may lessen the extent of 
this evil, if not wholly put an end to it. The best method of 
making the attempt seems to be, to entrust to a carefully selected 
committee the preparation of a series of rules, the adoption of 
which must be left to the sound sense of naturalists in general. 
By emanating from the British Association, it is hoped that the 
proposed rules will be invested with an authority which no indi- 
vidual zoologist, however eminent, could confer on them, The 
world of Science is no longer a monarchy, obedient to the ordinances, 
however just, of an Aristotle or a Linneus. She has now assumed 
the form of a republic, and although this revolution may have 
increased the vigour and zeal of her followers, yet it has destroyed 
much of her former order and regularity of government. The 
latter can only be restored by framing such laws as shall be based 
in reason, and sanctioned by the approval of men of science; and 
it is to the preparation of these laws that the Zoological Section 
ot the Association have been invited to give their aid, 
