Vol. XXlll, pp. 165-168 December 29, 1910 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



THE AMPHIBIAN GENERIC NAME ENGYSTOMA 



UNTENABLE. 



BY LEONHARD STEJNEGER. 



The genus Engi/stoma, as now generally understood, embraces 

 a number of American species, among them our well known 

 southern E. carolinense. The term is untenable, however, for 

 this genus. 



When Fitzinger instituted the genus in 1826 (Neue Classif. 

 Kept., p. 39) he expressly stated (p. 40) that it was based on 

 Linne's Rana gibbosa, that Merrem's Breviceps, of 1820, was 

 also based on the same species, but that he preferred his own 

 genus which he alleges was " gleichzeitig aufgestellt." There 

 is no evidence that he published the name Engystoma before 

 1826, however. The later name therefore becomes a synonym 

 of Breviceps. That it was so understood by all herpetologists 

 up to 1811 is plain from a perusal of the literature. Cuvier 

 (Regne Anim., 2 ed., II, 1829, p. 112) synonymizes them. So 

 does Wagler (Syst. Amph., 1830, p. 205) who substitutes 

 Si/stoma for both of them. So does Tschudi (Classif. Batr., 

 1838, p. 86) who accepts Wagler's term. Finally, Fitzinger 

 himself, in 1813 (Syst. Rept., p. 33), abandons Engystoma and 

 accepts Systoma. Wagler, as early as 1828, separated the Eana 

 ■.vails of Schneider monotypically as Microps (preoccupied) and 

 Tschudi, 1838, substituted for it Stenocephalus (which was also 

 preoccupied). 



It was not until 1811 that the confusion began. In that year 

 Dumeril and Bibron (Erpet. Gen., vol. 8, p. 740) designated 

 Rana ovaiis as the type of Engystoma and in this they were 

 followed by Guenther and later authors, including Boulenger. 



r,S— Fitoc. Hior,. Sor. Wash., Vol. XXHI, T.HO. (ir,."i) 



