No.m4. NAMES OF BDELLOSTOMA OR JIEPTATREMA—fllLL. 7;57 



The question of nonienclaturc in this case has l)een complicated, not 

 only 1>y the divcrsit}' of names sugj^ested, but also b^^ the specification 

 or namini^- of the t3'pe of the genus and the statement as to the estab- 

 lishmiMit of the g'emis b}- Dumeril. 



The t;vpe was designated as being identical with the ''' Oddrohmuclie 

 Doiitlk'ii''^ of Lacepede. Now, the tish of Lacepede was a dried skin 

 which did not show the l)ranchial apertures (at least they escaped 

 Lacepede's attention), and of course the data as to the luunber of 

 branchial apertures and tlieir structure could not ])een derLved from 

 that tish, but evidentl}', as was indeed confessed, were based on the 

 dissections of Sir Everard Home. The species '"'"Ep^atretus Doiiihetl 

 Dumeril,''' of Cloquet was therefore a composite, the description of the 

 dentition having l)een derived from Lacepede and the rest from Home. 

 The jiKitcrtdl 2>((ft^ however, relative to the number and structure of 

 the In-anchial apertures and pouches, was due to IIoiiw. The generic 

 characters, in fact, were entirely derived from Home, and the specific 

 name used was simply the result of a ml^i'idfutljicatlou^ it having" been 

 erroneously assumed that the species of Home was the same as that of 

 Lacepede. 



Clo(|uet's statement that Dumeril had estaldished the g"enus before 

 he could have known of Home's article need not detain us or deter us 

 from arriving at the only legitimate conclusion. Possibly Dumeril 

 might have thought or even perceived that there were lateral branchial 

 apertures and given a name, l)ut he could not have been certain of his 

 premises till he had seen Home's work. 



It will further appear that the only one of the three names imagined 

 for this genus accompanied by a latin ecpiivalent is E^'^idvetiDi. Much 

 as I dislike to substitute that name for Ileptatrema or Ileptatretnu^^ 

 there is, I sup[)ose, no alternative against it. Although the French 

 equivalent of the latter name was especialh^ framed for it from the 

 Greek, that fact will be regarded by almost all American nomenclators 

 at least insufficient, since it was used in French guise only. Both 

 Dumeril and Cloquet evidently intended to use EjJtatreinuH but in 

 their senseless maunderings failed to do so. 



JH. 



In 1822, Fleming,^ not knowing the work of his predecessors, pro- 

 posed a new name, adding after' ''1. Petromyzon," the following: 



2. HoMEA. ^Margin of the mouth bearded. 



I have ventured to name this genus in honor of [Sir Everard Home, who has so 

 successfully investigated the aerating and reproductive organs of the tribe to which 

 it belongs, and who has pointed out its distinguishing internal characters. The 

 trivial name is due to the late illustrious Banks, by Avhoni the species was brought 

 to this country from the Soutli Seas. //. Bunkxii. 



^Philosophy of Zoology, II, p. 374. 

 Proc. N. M. vol. xxiii 47 



