276 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [AugUSt, 



CONCEKNING RAFINESQUE'S PRECIS DES DECOUVERTES SOMIOLOGIQUES. 



BY DAVID STARR JORDAN. 



In Palermo, in 1814, Constantine Samuel Rafinesque published a 

 mean little pamphlet which he called "Precis des Decouvertes 

 Somiologiques, ou Zoologiques et Botaniques." By his newly 

 invented word "Semiology" Rafinesque meant Systematic Zoology 

 and Botany. In another paper of the same date he gives the " Princi- 

 paux Fondamentaux de Somiologie, ou les Lois de la Nomenclature 

 et de la Classification de I'Empire Organique ou des Animaux et des 

 Vegetaux." 



These laws of nomenclature are mostly reasonable enough, except 

 that they justify the substitution of new names on trivial grounds. 

 A name may be too long or too short, and all names indicating 

 likeness to other genera, as Gohioides, Scomber omorus, Scomheresox, 

 were discarded. These rules he applies at once to numerous plant 

 genera and in his "Analyse de la Nature," in 1815, to many others 

 also. 



The "Precis de Decouvertes" has been rarely seen by naturalists. 

 The only copy I have examined is in the library of the Department 

 of Agriculture. In it the following species are described, from Sicily, 

 unless otherwise noted: 



Phycis inacronemus, p- 10. 



This is apparently Phycis blenniodes Briinnich. 



Trisopterus fasciatus (new genus), p. 16. 



"Corps comprime: tete ecailleuse: trois nageoires dorsales et 

 anales opposees, les intermediaires les plus grandes. II appartient 

 a la famille des Gadiens. T. fasciatus: Jaune dore raye transversa- 

 lement de brun: ligne laterale droite et brune: queue fourchee." 



According to Risso this is the same as his Morua capelanus or 

 Brachygadus minutus (L). This identification is probably correct, 

 in which case Trisopterus replaces Brachygadus Gill. 



Bothus diagrammus, p- 16. 



Left side rosy, unspotted. Two lateral lines, the upper straight, 

 the lower curved. Dorsal beginning over opercles. 



