280 
Mr Bernard , On the Unit of Classification , etc. 
of mud or sand. While of course I do not agree that this can be 
the only factor determining the form, I have taken the warning 
to heart and recognize that it is safer in this matter of arrange- 
ment to assume nothing but to adhere only to the ascertainable 
facts. The geographical arrangement then is all that is left to us. 
So far then in such a Catalogue or Monograph we have only 
recorded the facts, and now we come to the first line of work upon 
these facts. This consists in making Tables. The first table 
would be a simple list of the recorded forms, this owing to the 
geographical component of the designations, gives at a glance the 
distribution, and a few other important facts such as the relative 
abundance or scarcity of the genus in certain parts of the world, 
or at least so far as our knowledge extends up to date. 
Then should follow a series of tables none of them really much 
more difficult to construct than the first. These would take all the 
important structural features in succession and the forms should 
be arranged according to each one in turn. In this way we should 
gradually get on the track of many important truths, we should 
for instance at once begin to see whether certain definite morpho- 
logical features followed definite geographical lines. Indeed with 
such a geographical chart of the genus, we should have at our 
disposal a permanent basis on which to lay down any experi- 
mental method of classification we like, even one suggested by 
characters drawn from internal anatomy hitherto necessarily 
ignored by the systematists. No new line suggested by varia- 
tions hitherto unnoticed need be subversive as they too often are 
now ; all good methods of comparison can only be contributory 
to the final result. Along these lines there can be little doubt 
but that interesting and instructive series will come to light 
gradually of themselves, the interpretation of which will be a 
new stimulus to research. We can now I think see how necessary 
it is to have geographical designations, any others would multiply 
the labour uselessly. 
This system is obviously not intended to be a rival to the 
Linnean system of naming the genetic divisions of the organic 
kingdom. The Linnean system stands for the names of the 
orders, families, genera, and it will stand also for the species when 
we know what they are. What we are suggesting is not there- 
fore a new system of naming divisions at all, but a new technique 
for systematic work to enable us to discover the divisions, which 
we can then name according to the Linnean formula. The 
present exclusive use of the Linnean system which is only 
applicable to a final definitive classification compels us now to 
guess blindly at what we can only discover by patient research. 
