900 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XXI. No. 545. 



The terms printed in broad-faced letters are 

 the additions or modifications for which we 

 are at present responsible. A fuller explana- 

 tion of all the terms will be found in the 

 ' Catalogue of the Type and Figured Speci- 

 mens of Invertebrate Fossils in the U. S. 

 National Museum,' a work which has been 

 prepared by Charles Schuchert and is now 

 passing through the press; and the present 

 article gives a synopsis of the terms which it 

 has been found necessary to use in connection 

 with that and similar work. 



We now make another suggestion. After 

 the different terms we have placed, in brackets, 

 the contractions which we propose should be 

 used in the actual marking of small specimens 

 to which it is impossible or inadvisable to 

 aiEx the full label. Our plan for such con- 

 tractions is this: For types of the first class, 

 two capital letters; for those of the second 

 class, one capital and one small letter; for 

 typical specimens, two small letters. • 



In the definitions which follow, the term 

 ' description ' indicates either a description by 

 words, or by a picture, or by both combined. 

 For the sake of accuracy we suggest that the 

 original description by words (type-descrip- 

 tion) be called the protolog", the original 

 description by a picture (type-figure), the 

 protograph.. It is obviously more easy to 

 identify actual types from the latter than 

 from the former. 



Primary types Proterotypes. Material 

 upon which original descriptions of species 

 are based. 



Holotype [H. T.]. The only specimen pos- 

 sessed by the nomenclator at the time ; the one 

 specimen definitely selected or indicated by the 

 nomenclator as the type; the one specimen 

 which is the basis for a given or cited proto- 

 graph. 



Cotype (more properly Syntype) [S. T.]. 

 A specimen of the original series, when there 

 is no holotype. 



Paratype [P. T,]. A specimen of the origi- 

 nal series, when there is a holotype. 



Lectotype [L. T.]. A cotype chosen, 

 subsequently to the original description, to 

 take the place which in other cases a holotype 

 occupies (AezTfJ?, chosen, picked). 



Supplementary types (Apotypes vice 

 Hypotype in use). Material upon which sup- 

 plementary descriptions of species are based. 



Heautotype (vice Autotype in use) 

 [H. t.]. Any specimen identified with an 

 already described and named species, selected 

 by the nomenclator himself in illustration of 

 his species, such specimen not being identifi- 

 able as one of the proterotypes. 



Plesiotype [P. t.] Any specimen iden- 

 tified with an already described and named 

 species, but not selected by the nomenclator 

 himself. 



Neotype [N. t.]. A specimen identified 

 with an already described and named species, 

 selected to be the standard of reference in cases 

 when the proterotypes are lost, destroyed or 

 too imperfect for determination, such speci- 

 men being from the same locality and horizon 

 as the holotype or lectotype of the original 

 species. 



Typical specimens (Icotypes) (cizo?, what 

 is like).* Material which has not been used in 

 literature, but serves a purpose in identifica- 

 tion. 



Topotype [t. t.]. A specimen of a named 

 species from the locality of the holotype or 

 lectotype, in paleontology from the same local- 

 ity and horizon. 



Metatype [rtl. t.]. A topotype identified 

 by the nomenclator himself. 



Idiotype [i. t.]. A specimen identified 

 by the nomenclator himself, but not a topotype. 



Homoeotype (vice Homotype, preoccu- 

 pied) [h.. t.]. A specimen identified by a 

 specialist after comparison with the holotype 

 or lectotype (//oo:?, resembling). 



Chirotype [x. t.]. A specimen upon 

 which a chironym is based (chironym, a Ms. 

 name, Coues, 1884). 



In addition to the above, we have the use of 

 the word ' type ' in connection with genera — a 

 given species is the type of the genus. The 

 classification of such types is as follows: 



TYPES OF GENERA (Gcnotypes). 



Genoholotype. The one species on which 

 a genus is founded; or a series of species on 



*eiK6(, gen. ciKOro^, tiKo for cckoto, to make. Ico 

 type for euphony. 



