GUPPY GULF OF PARIA. 
119 
Conchology I dare not affirm that all the species herein enum 
ted are correctly named. Some rectifications ^ i a J e 
made without doubt, some species added and peihaps a e\\ 
together: not many indeed for I have devoted much labour to 
the reduction cf superfluous nomenclature, lo ^ct- ° 
almost as much time to the fusion of specific names as many 
naturalists have to the making of species out of nieie i ^ 
variations. Of the latter tendency I can point to a 
example in the work of my late friend Otto A. L. 1 . 
the West Indian ScalidtB,” where something like forty species a 
made out of two or three; and moreover these ^ or y P^^ 
species are arranged in an imposing aria} of secti 
its technical character, usually of no moie ieal va u 
presence or absence of a beard among individuals o 
race for example. 
A naturalist Hods a gre«l> teo'S’ for whil * 
»u», unci in order to comply with rf.bli.tod u»g= »■ •> » 
make out some technical characters upon vhi u nC ] s 
. , . . ,. Another naturalist tmas 
diagnosis, definition or description. A technical 
that other members of the same group iaAe 113 railed 
characters have not all cf them He consider- h.^’f . 
on, not to alter or improve the ^ 
new name and a new diagnosis. iudged 
do not constitute groups; and it often happens that J ^ ^ 
by technical characters individuals of the same ^ ^ 
more different from each other than different s P ec * e ^iffi- 
genus or group. The differences bet ' Ve ^ th e subject 
cult of expression in language, nor can naturalist is 
of chemical or mathematical tests. 1 t e what are 
really distinct species while ^ species into several, or 
characters whereby to sepal. ^ himself from the 
even into two or three genet a. ° acters a distinct and 
difficulties he labors under he ’ kind so that he can 
definite and if possible of 
