PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 19 



Fagrus, we should say Pagrus argenfeus using the half-forgotteu synonym argenteus; 

 but if, -with the present authors, P«(/n<s be regarded as a subgenus only, its typical 

 species should be Sparus pagrus. 



6. In case of the adoption of a specihc name as generic, to choose as the new spe- 

 cific name whatever name the author of the geniis may have himself chosen to call 

 the species, without reference to previous synonyms. This rule seems to have been 

 followed with more or less consistency by Dr. Giinther in his Catalogue of the Fishes 

 of the British Museum. This rule has the advantage of definiteness, nor does it con- 

 tain any injustice to earlier writers, for the earlier synonyms have no claims jjcj* se, 

 being antedated by the specific name selected as generic. But no one has applied 

 this rule in detail, and it seems not likely to receive general adoption. 



7. To retain the earliest generic and earliest specific names, without regard to 

 their similarity. This is the dictate of the law of priority, which is steadily becom- 

 ing more and more urgent. The best system of rules is that which permits of fewest 

 exceptions, and certainly exceptions to the application of this most important rule 

 of priority should be very few indeed. It seems to us that no advantage worthy of 

 consideration comes from the change of either specific or generic name when the two 

 are alike, while the disadvantages are many and serious. There is, in fact, a certain 

 degree of appropriateness in thus repeating the generic name for its typical species. 

 Nor is this idea foreign to the Latinic languages, however uncommon it may be in class- 

 ical Latin. The Cuban fishermen call all the species of Hwviulon " Honco"; those of 

 Harpe and Lachnolanius, "Perro"; those of Echeiieis, '^ Ptga." Now, the typical or 

 most important species of each of these groups is further distinguished by the repe- 

 tition of the same word in an adjective sense. Thus, Hwmiilon plutnieri in " Eonco 

 Ronco" \ Lachiiohvnns siullus, '^ Perro Perro"; and Echeneis naucraies, '^'^ Pega-pega." 

 Thus, the true Eel, or Anguilla of the ancients, may be called Anguilla anguilla; the 

 typical Calamus, Calamus calamus, and so on. This rule has been adopted in part 

 by many authors. In his late publications it seems to have been fully adopted by 

 Dr. Giinther, who, without any formal statement of reasons, writes Conger conger, 

 Anguilla anguilla, &c., as he had formerly written Trachurus trachurus. 



Believing that the retention of the original specific name in all these cases will save 

 much confusion, we propose to call the present species Calamus calamus, instead of 

 Calamus megacepliahis. 



The adoption of this rule would necessitate changes in nomenclature of American 

 fishes from that given in our Synopsis of the Fishes of North America — 



From— To— 



■ Catostomus lougirostris. C. catostomus (Forst.). 



Anguilla vulgaris. A. anguilla L. 



Conger niger. C. conger L. 



Hippocampus heptagonus. H. hippocampus L. 



Meuidia bosci. M. menidia L. 



Sphyrajna spet. S. sphyrjena L. 



Remora squalipeta. R. remora L. 



Sarda mediterranea. S. sarda L. 



Trachurus saurus. T. trachurus L. 



Calamus megace)>halus. C. calamus C. & V. 



Hemilepidotus tilesi. H. hemilepidotus (Tilesius). 



Liparis lineata. L. liparis L. 



Molva vulgaris. M, molva L. 



Lota maculosa. L. lota L 



Merlucius smiridus. M. merlucius L. 



Hippoglossus vulgaris. H. hijjpoglossus L. 



Acbirus lineatus. A. achirus L. 



Mola rotunda. M. mola L. 



