THE ZOOLOGIST
No. 681.—March, 1898.
THE TECHNICAL NAMES OF BRITISH MAMMALS.
By Oldfield Thomas, F.Z.S.
Nomenclature, like linguistics or the structure of Greek names, is one of the collateral subjects which, however far from true zoology, have yet to be dealt with by every working zoologist; while it has the added inconvenience that, however it is done, whether rigidly or laxly, by rule or without it, its study is sure to bring down on the head of the worker the wrath of outsiders whenever unexpected results are arrived at.
This is especially the case in any group of animals which is particularly well known to outside, as opposed to technical, workers, and therefore any change in the nomenclature of so well-known a group as our British Mammals is to be greatly deplored from every point of view. But for this very reason, if technically unavoidable, changes should be adopted as soon and as widely as possible, so that the younger generation of naturalists may grow up knowing the proper names, and may not have to undergo the inconveniences we have all been put to.
An opportunity for a general revision of the names of our British Mammals seems now to have presented itself on the publication of a paper on the nomenclature of European Bats, showing what the proper names should be. These, as always happens, prove to be widely different from what we are accustomed to, and show how muddled and incorrect our current nomenclature has been.
