236 REPORT OF THE AMERICAN COMMITTEE. 
What is there in the Devonian system, as represented in North 
America, which demands uniformity of nomenclature, and wherein 
will attempts at uniformity in nomenclature either strain or mis- 
represent the facts ? 
1st. It is perfectly clear to a paleontologist studying the faunas 
and floras, that the system under consideration, in each of the so 
dissimilar types, is the representative of the Devonian system of 
Great Britain, Belgium, Germany and Russia, in all the central 
features of its marine and brackish invertebrate, and vertebrate 
faunas; and in its floras. That the name Devonian, as the first 
name used, should be applied to this system of rocks, we see no 
reason for dispute. 
2d. In all the sections, in so far as they exhibit it, the order 
of sequence in the modification of faunas is the same, and this 
sequence as presented in foreign sections is found to follow the 
same order, wherever species are identical, or are closely allied 
varieties of the same type ; their place of dominance in the series 
is the same for each section, but the range may vary ; in one area 
species may be restricted in range ; in another, species may range 
through a long series of deposits. In other words, species which 
are found to have a world-wide distribution, although in one area 
they may be restricted to a particular stage of the Devonian, are 
likely to have a long geological range in other areas, not less 
than from bottom to top of some complete Devonian sections. 
But a particular combination of species, forming a characteristic 
fauna of a special stage in one area, occurs at the same relative 
position in any other area in which it appears. Such faunas are, 
however, actually more or less local, and, as far as the Devonian 
is concerned, it is not practicable to form more than three sub- 
divisions of the Devonian to which to apply universally uni- 
form names. These three, in their general typical faunas, can be 
recognized (so far as they are present) in the different areas of 
America and Europe, the lower, typically seen in the Cornifer- 
ous limestone of New York ; the middle, represented in the 
Hamilton fauna of New York ; the upper, represented in the 
Chemung fauna of New York. Any attempt to unify in the 
finer details is useless for America, and, of course, would be use- 
less if attempted for all countries. 
3d. In the sections of America alone there is found nothing in 
