The Ultimate Key

[p stevens]

The ultimate in keys is perhaps that by A. F. Carr, Jr.:

1941.  The fishes of Alachua County, Florida: A subjective key.  Dopeia ser.
B. 3, part Q. X, n.p.  Published by the American Society of Fish
Prevaricators and Reptile Fabricators.

I have misplaced my copy, but the key includes leads like "Fish with a
patently paleozoic aspect", etc.  It is a good pamphlet to include as
obligatory reading in systematics courses.

And talking of obligatory reading:
E. G. Voss, 1952.  The history of keys and phylogenetic trees in systematic
biology.  J. Scientific Laboratories, Denison University 43: 1-25.

Peter Stevens.