279 
for Systematic Biology. 
note of interrogation. Our aim is simply to record the form with 
a designation which expresses only what we can ascertain about 
the facts. 
To this generic name [or the first, i.e. lowest divisional name of 
which we feel sure] is added the district in which the locality occurs. 
This we shall see when we come to describe the method of work 
is a most important point. In the meantime we may note that 
a geographical distinguishing name is better than a morpho- 
logical name, which is nearly always misleading, for it emphasises 
a character the value of which we know nothing about ; while 
purely trivial names would be, as I shall presently show, mere en- 
cumbrances. 
The Numerator of the fraction means the distinguishing 
number of the form from the district. It might have been A, B, 
C, running on after 26 to a , /3, 7. This number (or letter) never 
changes and forms part of the fixed designation of the form , so 
long as we need to treat it as an isolated unit. 
The Denominator is not a necessary part of the designation 
but is added to give a little more information. It indicates the 
number of forms known from the district up to date. This will 
have many uses, but it need not be regarded as essential for the 
purposes of reference. We may regard the designation of the 
form here proposed as practically the same as that adopted by a 
good collector who is not yet in a position to classify his finds ; 
this is exactly the position we are in, with regard at least to the 
difficult and little known groups. 
In the second line, and not forming any part of the name or 
designation, come the exact locality, the geological formation 
etc. if the specimen is fossil, and other information such as name 
of Collector, or Expedition, or Museum where the specimen or 
specimens are preserved. 
In the third line come the references to earlier descriptions 
either of the same, or of what appear to have been the same, 
form. 
Then would follow the detailed description. 
These descriptions with the figures will form the bulk of the 
work, and in the case of my work on the corals they will constitute 
the Catalogue of the Collection. They will be arranged geo- 
graphically, that is, as the forms appear to be distributed over the 
surface of the planet. This at any rate cannot be wrong, whereas 
the usual plan of arranging them according to variation of 
structure may be. For instance, I arranged the Turbinarians in 
the second vol. of the Madreporarian Catalogue according to their 
growth form. I am now told by Mr Pace, that his observations 
on a reef where Turbinarians were specially plentiful, convinced 
him that the form depended largely upon the presence or absence 
