356 Rules for Rendering the Nomenclature of Zoology Uniform. 



A genus compounded of two or more 'previously proposed genera, whose 

 characters are noiv deemed insufficient, should retain the name of one of the^m. 

 — It sometimes happens tliat the progress of science requires two or 

 more genera, founded on insufficient or erroneous characters, to be 

 combined together into one. In sucli cases the law of priority forbids 

 us to cancel all the original names and impose a new one on this com- 

 pound genus. We must, therefore, select some one species as a type 

 or example, and give the generic name which it formerly bore to the 

 ■whole group now formed. If these original generic names differ in 

 date, the oldest one should be the one adopted. 



§ 9. In compounding a genus out of several smaller ones, the 

 earliest of them, if otherwise unobjectionable, should be selected, 

 and its former generic name be extended over the new genus so com- 

 pounded. 



Example. — The genera Accentor and Prunella of Vieillot not being 

 considered sufficiently distinct in character, are now united under the 

 general name of Accentor, that being the earliest. So also, Cerithiwn, 

 and Fotamides, which were long considered distinct, are now united, 

 and the latter name merges into the former. 



We now proceed to point out those few cases, which form exceptions 

 to the law of priority, and in which it becomes both justifiable and 

 necessary to alter the names originally imposed by authors. 



A name should be changed ivhen previously apjdied to another group 

 which still retains it. — It being essential to the binomial method to indi- 

 cate objects in natural history by means of tivo words only, without the 

 aid of any further designation, it follows that a genei-ic name should 

 only have one meaning, in other words, that two genera should never 

 bear the same name. For a similar reason, no two species in the same 

 genus should bear the same name. When these cases occur, the later of 

 the two duplicate names should be canceled, and a new term or the ear- 

 liest synonym, if there be any, substituted. When it is necessary to form 

 new words for this purpose, it is desii-able to make them bear some 

 analogy to those which they are destined to supersede, as where the 

 genus of birds, Plectorhynchus, being preoccupied in ichthyology, is 

 changed to Plectorhampus. It is, we conceive, the bounden duty of an 

 author, when naming a new genus, to ascertain, b}^ careful search, that 

 the name which he proposes to employ has not been previously 

 adopted in other departments of natural history. By neglecting this 

 precaution, he is liable to have the name altered, and his authority 

 superseded by the first subsequent author who may detect the over- 

 sight, and for this result, however unfortunate, we fear there is no 

 remedy, though such cases would be less frequent if the detectors of 



