Vol. XIII, pp. 183-184 November 30. 1900 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



GENERAL NOTES. 



New name for a North American Squirrel. 



In 1894 I described a subspecies of Abert's squirrel under the name of 

 Sciiiruii (iberti ctnicolor* My attention has recently been called to the 

 fact that an Asiatic squirrel was ^iven the specific name concolor by 

 Hlyth in 1855. f In order to prevent confusion I would propose that the 

 sub-specific name of the American animal be chan^red to f err euK. — F. W. 

 True. 



The proper name of the Viscacha. 



In 1897 Dr. T. S. Palmer [Science, N. S., VI, No. 131, pp. 21, 22, July 

 2, 1897) called attention to the fact that the then current generic name 

 of the Viscacha, Lagostomus Brookes (1828) was antedated by Vizcacia 

 Schinz {circa 1825), and that the specific name tnchodactylui^ Brookes 

 (1828) was antedated by maximus {Dipus maximus Desmarest, ex Blain- 

 ville, Ms., 1817,) and therefore claimed that the proper name of the 

 Viscacha was ''Vizcacia maxima [Blainville) .' ' Recently Mr. James A. 

 G. Rehn (Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., XIII, p. 166, Oct. 31, 1900) states that 

 the specific name maxima is antedated by Lepus viscaccica Brandis (Ver- 

 H 



*Proc. IT. S. Nat. Mus., 17, 1894, No. 999, pp. (advance sheet is.sued 

 April 20, 1894). 



f Jour. Asiatic Soc. Bengal, new series, 24, No. 5, 185.5, p. 474. foot- 

 note. 



38— Bior.. Soc. Wash. Vol. XIII, litOO. (183) 



