SHORTER ARTICLES AND DISCUSSION 



TERMS RELATING TO GENERIC TYPES 



In the field of biological taxonomy an important reform is in 

 progress. The change is from fhe method of concepts to the 

 method of types, in order that names may be applied with 

 greater precision and permanence. Under the method of types 

 we no longer think of the technical name of a plant or an animal 

 as attaching primarily to a concept embodied in a description or 

 definition, but as relating to the first representative of the group 

 that became known to science. In determining the application 

 of a specific name we go back to the original specimen or type 

 on which the description was based. The original description 

 has become secondary to the original specimen. In like manner 

 generic names are treated as relating primarily to groups of 

 species, with the original species as the generic type. 1 



Without waiting to appreciate the fundamental nature of the 

 change from concepts to types, many systematic workers took it 

 for granted that generic types were to be determined by elimina- 

 tion;- in much the same way that generic concepts had been 

 treated, by gradual subdivision, restriction and removal of com- 

 ponent groups. The general results of elimination were the 

 same as under the method of concepts. The applications of 

 many of the older generic names did not become definitely fixed, 

 but remained dependent upon varying individual opinions of 

 the validity of the work of later authors. It often happened 

 that after elimination was accomplished only the doubtful or 

 unidentifiable species remained to serve as generic types. Grad- 

 ually it became apparent that the practise of elimination was 

 inconsistent with the method of types, and could not insure 

 stability in the application of names. Recourse was then had, 

 especially by zoologists, to the arbitrary designation of generic 



i Cook, O. P., 1898, "The Method of Types," Science, N. S., 8: 513; also 

 1900, "The Method of Types in Botanical Nomenclature, " Science, N. S., 

 12: 475, and 1902, "Types and Synonyms," Science, N. S., 15: 646. 

 Swingle, Walter T., 1913, "Types of Species in Botanical Taxonomy," 



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