GENERAL SYSTEMATIC BACTERIOLOGY 143 



Application of the law of priority 



Article 26. The Law of Priority obtains and consequently the oldest available 

 name is retained: 



a. When any part of an animal is named before the animal itself. 



b. When any stage in the life history is named before the adult. 



c. When the two sexes of an animal have been considered as distinct species 

 or even as belonging to distinct genera. 



d. When an animal represents a regular succession of dissimilar generations 

 which have been considered as belonging to different species or even to different 

 genera. 



Article 28. A genus formed by the union of two or more genera or subgenera 

 takes the oldest valid generic or subgeneric name of its components. If the 

 names are of the same date, that selected by the first reviser shall stand. 



The same rule obtains when two or more species or subspecies are united to 

 form a single species or subspecies. 



Recommendation. In absence of anj'- previous revision, the establishment of 

 precedence by the following method is recommended: 



a. A generic name accompanied by specification of a type has precedence over 

 a name without such specifications. If all or none of the genera have types 

 specified, that generic name takes precedence the diagnosis of which is most 

 pertinent. 



b. A specific name accompanied by both description and figure stands in prefer- 

 ence to one accompanied only by a diagnosis or only by a figure. 



c. Other things being equal, that name is to be preferred which stands first 

 in the publication (page precedence). 



Article 29. If a genus is divided into two or more restricted genera, its valid 

 name must be retained for one of the restricted genera. If a type was originally 

 established for said genus, the generic name is retained for the restricted genus 

 containing said type. 



Recommendation. To facilitate reference, it is recommended that when an 

 older species is taken as type of a new genus, its name should be actually com- 

 bined with the new generic name in addition to citing it with the old generic 

 name. Example: Gilbertella Eigenmann, 1903, Smithsonian Misc. Coll. v. 45, 

 p. 147, type Gilbertella alata (Steindachner) = Anacyrtus alatits Steindachner. 



Article 30. The designation of type species of genera shall be governed by the 

 following rules (a-g), applied in the following order of precedence: 



I. Cases in which the generic type is accepted solely upon the basis of the 

 original publications: 



a. When in the original publication of a genus, one of the species is definitely 

 designated as tj^je, this species shall be accepted as type, regardless of any other 

 considerations. (Type by original designation.) 



b. If in the original publication of a genus, typicus or typus is used as a new 

 specific name for one of the species, such use shall be construed as "tj^ie by 

 original designation." 



c. A genus proposed with a single original species takes that species as its type. 

 (Monotypical genera.) 



d. If a genus, without originally designated (see a) or indicated (see b) type, 

 contains among its original species one possessing the generic name as its specific 



