14 
NOMENCLATURE. 
belongs or is most closely related to, while the specific name deci- 
sively separates it from all others in the genns, one name thus 
showing the affinity of the organism and the other its divergence 
Formerly the nse of a series of descriptive epithets was in vogue to 
indicate species and must have proved in practice very cumbrous 
and unwieldly, as the synonyms I shall presently give under the 
specific heads will sufficiently show. 
Linnd, though not the originator of the binomial system, was the 
first to apply it to the whole of the animal and vegetable kingdoms, 
and it has therefore been decided that recognized nomenclature shall 
be considered to take its origin from him and date from 1758, the 
year of publication of the 10th edition of the “ Systema Natune,” 
in which work he first applied the binary system of nomenclature to 
all organisms, which he had only partially done in the previous 
editions. All names or epithets given to species prior to 1758 are 
therefore not recognized in the nomenclature, except as synonyms, 
but the earliest name published after that date if accompanied by a 
recognizable description or figure is adopted and should not be altered, 
except when mis-spelt by author or printer. The name of the person 
who proposed the name, should in all cases follow that of the species 
he has discriminated, but if the species is afterwards removed from 
the genus in which it was placed by him, this is indicated by placing 
the author’s name in parentheses, thus A vion ((ter (L.) was originally 
described by Linne as Linm.v (iter, and the use of the parentheses 
indicates the generic change; while Jleli.r nemordHs Linne retains its 
original generic position, as is shown by their absence. 
Some naturalists still consider that the author establishing the 
genus should append his name to all the species embraced in it, and 
this opinion has led to the alteration and division of many of the 
genera. Scientists generally do not however agree with or accept this 
doctrine, and little can be said in its fixvour. 
The classical languages — Greek and Latin— are, by general consent, 
chiefly used for the names of natural history objects ; tbe names of 
Families and Sub-fiimilies being formed by the addition of idae and 
inae respectively, to the genitive form of the name of the principal or 
typical genus, this addition being made after the elision of the last 
syllable, thus Helicidiv and Iletichuv respectively indicate the Family 
and Sub-family of which the genus Helix is typical. 
