XVIII 
PREFACE. 
bericht for 1879, not otherwise given ; 3d, all genera, whether previously 
recorded correctly or not, which were furnished by the authors them- 
selves ; and 4th, a few groups higher than genera, most of which were 
furnished by correspondents, and therefore not expunged 5 no attempt 
has been made to collect these, and they are distinguished from the 
genera by being hair-spaced. Where.the entry has been furnished 
by an author or other correspondent his name is appended in italics as- 
its sponsor; the name Agassiz is appended to all entries copied from his 
manuscript additions to the Nomenclator of 1846; for all entries contain- 
ing no final italicized name the compiler is responsible, but as many of 
these have, of course, been taken at second hand, it will be best in all 
doubtful or critical cases to verify them. That the list is far from being 
fully complementary the compiler has had ample proofs since the com- 
pletion of the appendix. When, indeed, such common generic names as. 
Homo and Musca have escaped entry until now, he cannot anticipate 
that he has been much more successful than his predecessors. 
The second part, or u Universal Index,” containing, with its cross- 
references, about 80,000 entries, includes all names appearing either in 
the first part of the present work, or in the nomenclators of Agassiz and 
Marschall, or in the indexes of the Zoological Record through that for 
the year 1877. A single letter refers to the place where a fuller account 
will be found, the Z having an abbreviated form of the year appended to 
indicate the volume of the Zoological Record. The list gives the names 
in clear type but in the most compact form, in order that as many names 
as possible shall be before the eye at once, — a prime requisite in an index. 
There is given : 1st, the name of the genus (including also, in italics , such 
family or higher names as appear in Agassiz’s Nomenclator or my Sup- 
plemental List); 2 d, the authority; 3d, the group; 4th, the date; and 
5th, the reference to the nomenclators. No critical marks are appended, 
as was at first intended, as judgment in such matters varies too much to 
render it desirable, considering the labor involved; the material for 
judgment is all that should be expected of the compiler. For conven- 
ience, an edition of each part will be issued separately. 
Finally, the compiler expresses the hope that the work may be found 
tolerably accurate. To the excellent proof-readers of the Government 
Printing Office much of the credit is due for what freedom it has from 
typographical faults and inconsistencies, but every word of the proof has 
been read by the compiler himself many times with utmost care. If it 
shall be found as useful to the student as he hopes, the dreary work 
of its preparation will be looked upon with satisfaction. 
SAMUEL H. SCUDDER. 
Harvard College Library, 
Cambridge , Mass., March 31, 1882. 
