The early endeavours by Hugh Edwin Strickland to establish a code for zoological nomenclature in 1842–1843

Hugh Edwin Strickland (1811–1853) in 1837 published a preliminary set of 22 rules relating to established nomenclature and providing guidance in the formulation of names. Hoping to make such rules mandatory, he opted to gain the support of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. In September 1841, he drafted a first code to be circulated among scientists at home and abroad to garner support and finalise the terminology. On 11 February 1842, the Council of the British Association appointed a committee to discuss zoological nomenclature. This committee of 16 people met a few times in April 1842 to discuss the text of the rules, resulting in a second draft printed in May 1842. This document was discussed at the annual meeting of the British Association in Manchester on 28 June 1842, without a clear result on the suitability of the rules. Strickland argued to members of Council that his report should be printed in the main section of the annual proceedings, where in fact they appeared in 1843. This was the first general printing of the rules of nomenclature, which later became known as the Strickland Code.