QUESTIONS TO WHICH AN ANSWER IS DESIRED. 
I. What date shall be taken as the commencement of the binomial 
era in nomenclature ? For Ed. X, 18. Ed. XII, 17. 1736, 
1. Botanists, 1753, 2. No answer, 7. 
II. Shall phrases composed of two words which may appear in the 
publications of naturalists whose works preceded, or who did 
not in such works adopt the binomial system of nomenclature, 
be considered as binomial names ? No, 32. Yes, 5. No 
answer or doubtful, 8. 
III. If so, shall the first word of the said phrase be entitled to recog- 
nition as a generic name ? No, 32. Yes, 5. No answer or 
doubtful, 8. 
IY. If an author has not indicated his adoption of the binomial sys- 
tem by discarding all polynomial names in a given work, are 
any of his names therein entitled to recognition otherwise 
than in bibliography ? No, 18. Yes, 18. Doubtful, 4. No 
answer, 5. 
Example. Da Costa in his work on the Conchology of Great 
Britain, varies from binomial to polynomial in his designations 
of species, and some of his ‘‘generic” names contain two or 
three words, while others apparently conform to the Linnaean 
system. Should any of these names be retained ? 
V. Does the reading of a paper before a scientific body constitute a 
publication of the descriptions or names of animals or plants 
contained therein ? No, 39. Doubtful, 2. Yes, 4. 
VI. Is a name in the vernacular of the publishing author, or a ver- 
nacular rendering from a classical root unaccompanied by a 
Latin or Greek form of the name, entitled to recognition ex- 
cept in bibliography? No, 36. Doubtful, 2. Yes, 4. No 
answer, 3. 
VII. Is a name applied to a group of species without a specification 
of any character possessed by them in common (that is, with- 
out any so-called generic diagnosis or description), entitled 
to recognition as an established generic name by subsequent 
authors? No, 38. Doubtful, 3. Yes, 3. No answer, 1. 
VIII. Is a generic name applied to a single (then or previously) de- 
scribed species without a generic diagnosis or description of 
any kind, entitled to recognition as above, by subsequent 
authors? No, 37. Doubtful, 3. Yes, 4. No answer, 1. 
