52 General Notes. 



A new subgenus for Nyctaginia Cockerellae. 



By the characters mentioned, Nyctaginia Cockerellae A. Nelson (Proc. 

 Biol. Soc, Washington, XVI, p. 29), seemed tome to differ generically, 

 but I am willing to follow Professor Nelson's decision to the contrary. 

 y. Coc kerellae forms, however, at least a distinct subgenus or section, 

 which may be called Roswellia. — T. D. A. Cockerell. 



On the name of the common American Bel 



The name of the common American eel is now generally conceded to 

 be AnguiUa chrysypa Rahnesque, and the reference is given as " The 

 American Monthly Magazine and Critical Review, Vol. II, p. 120 (Dec, 

 1817)," the article in which it is contained being entitled "First Decade 

 of New North American Fishes, by C. S. Rafinesque." 



Messrs. Jordan and Evermann, in the " Fishes of North and Middle 

 America " (Bulletin 47, U. S. Nat, Mas. Vol. I, p. 348, 1896), give the 

 derivation as from ^pwJeis, gold, and V7t6, below. But on referring to 

 the original article, we find that Rafinesque spells the word "chrisypa," 

 the derivation for the word in this form being Xpi6iS (from XP* 03 ) mean- 

 ing an anointing, a besmearing, and vito, below. In his account of the 

 eel, he gives the vernacular names, referring to it as "Gold-Eel, Silver- 

 Eel, Lake-Eel, Gold-Breast, etc." It is from this last mentioned name 

 that the confusion doubtless arose. 



Although there is no way of ascertaining which of these derivations is 

 correct, whether Rafinesque really meant to turn the name "Gold- 

 Breast " into Greek and made a slip, or whether ho intended to refer to 

 the slimy character of the fish, it seems best to retain the original spell- 

 ing as given by him, as it is just as plausible as that adopted, and we are 

 not now in a position to make really certain which idea he entertained, 

 as all that he has left us is the name chrisypa. 



As regards the name bostoniensis of Le Sueur, on looking up the refer- 

 ence (Jour. Phil. Acad. I, p. 81) we find that it was given in a paper en- 

 titled "A short description of five (supposed) new species of the genus 

 Mursena discovered by Mr. Le Sueur in the year 1816," which was read 

 before the society on August 19th, 1817. As Rafinesque's name is dated 

 in his article December, 1817, bostoniensis would seem to have priority 

 over chrisypa. But we find that Le Sueur's name was riot published un- 

 til 1821, whereas Rafinesque's appeared in 1817. 



Therefore, the name of the common American eel should stand as 

 AnguiUa chrisypa, Rafinesque. — Austin II. Clark. 



