Ridgway on Zoological Nomenclature. 
133 
The use of a third name, in combination with the specific and ge- 
neric, to designate a “ race ” or “ subspecies,” has been objected to on 
the ground of its being opposed to the Linnman canons of nomencla- 
ture ; but, so far from this being the case, we find that Linnseus fre- 
quently gave names to what he considered as races or “ varieties ” of a 
species, prefixing the letters of the Greek alphabet. As an example, 
we find in the twelfth edition of “ Systema Naturae ” (1766), on pages 
270 and 271, that Linnaeus recognizes seven forms of “ Phasianus 
gallusP The first of these he terms simply Phasianus gallus , the 
others being cristatas /3., ecaudatus y., morio 8., lunata e., pusillus £., 
and crispus r/. ; each being accompanied by its diagnosis. Others of 
the older authors, whose works were published subsequent to the 
twelfth edition of the “ Systema Naturae,” and who adopt the Lin- 
nasan system, follow the same plan. Numerous instances may be 
found in Gm'elin (1788). On pages 589, 590, of Latham’s “Index 
Ornithologicus ” (Vol. II, 1790), the domestic Pigeon is termed 
“ Columba domestical' being species “ 2 ” of the genus Columba. 
Twenty varieties of this species are named, as follows : “2 /3. livia ,” 
“ 2 y. rupicola ,” “ 2 8. hispanica, ,” “ 2 e. dcisypus ,” et seq. The four- 
teen varieties of the domestic Fowl (“ Phasianus gallus ”), are named 
after the same manner on pages 626 - 628. In other instances, 
both Linnaeus and Latham indicate the different, forms supposed to 
belong to one species simply by the Greek characters, followed by a 
diagnosis, references, and habitat (e. g. Strepsilas interpres , /?., y., 
and 8. ; Lath., Ind. Orn., II, pp. 738, 739). 
The term “ varP between the specific name and that of the race 
is objectionable, from the fact that a “ variety ” is property “ a dif- 
ference not permanent or invariable, but occasioned by an accidental 
change ” ; * and in this sense would apply only to individuals pre- 
senting some abnormal variation, as albinism , melanism , erythrism, or 
some unusual form of bill, foot, etc., having little, if any, relation 
to geographical distribution. As affording a suitable example, the 
two common North American forms of Colaptes ( auratus and mexi- 
canus) may be cited, restricted to either side of the continent, but 
along the line of junction (or, rather, merging) of their respective 
habitats intergrading in a wholly promiscuous way, few specimens, 
apparently, perfectly typical of either form, being found in this 
neutral territory ; not only this, but specimens of this intermediate 
* Webster. 
