NOTE ON THE GENUS HIATULA OF LACfePEDE OR TAUTOGA OF 



MITCHILL. 



RY 



Theodork Gii.i,, M. 1).. Ph. D. 



In the twelfth edition of the '' Systema Natune," p. 475, Linna*u8 

 named a Labioid fish Lahrns hiatula: the name was based on "a half- 

 skin without anal fin," still preserved in the Linii;ean collection, and 

 which was recognized by Messrs. Goode and liean as the TaiiUxja onititi. 

 (Proc. U. S. Nat. xMus., 1882, \> . 571), after it had already been identi- 

 fied with it by previous authors. Upon tliis fish liacep«Mle (v. 2, p. 522) 

 based a genus for which he ai)propriated the name liintulu. In 1S8;J 

 (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1882, p. 571), Messrs. Jordan and (xilbert pro- 

 posed to replace the generic name Tnutoga of Mitchill, previously gen- 

 erally used, by Hiatula and under the name Jliatula onitis the species 

 was entered in their " Synopsis of the Fishes of Xorth America" (p. 

 600) and in many later publications. The name itself and the incidents 

 connected with it are so repugimnt to one's sense of propriety that 

 doubtless all that have adopted it have done so with reluctance. The 

 fact that it need not be retained, or rather that it can not be legiti- 

 mately retained, will therefore doubtless be welcomed. 



The name Hiatula has been given to four difierent associations of 

 species or peculiar species, viz : 



HIATULA. 



Martini, Verzeiclinisseiner aiiserU'scuen Sammlunt,' von Natiiralicn uixl Kmistsachon 



u. s. \v., p. 141, 1774 (Sohii, etc.). 

 Modcer, K. Vet. Acad. Haudl., p. 178, 1793. 

 Laceptde, Hist. Nat. Poissons, v. 2, p. 'r2'2, 1800. 

 Swainsoii. Eloiiifiits Mod. Couch, p. 14. 1S3.'. (./f/rt»o»irt (iray. ) 



Inasmuch as Modcer at least was a binomial author, lii.s name has 

 unquestionable priority over Lact'pcde's, ami consequently i)reclude8 the 

 adoption of the same for the genus of fishes, whatever may be thought 

 of the merits of the genus proposed for the bivalve shells. .Mo«leer'H 

 name has been adopted, however, by various recent authorities on Mol- 

 lusks as the designation of the genus otherwise called ^^olctellina, or 

 t^oloiotelliiui, hy Blainville ; among those who have thus adopted the 

 name are Tryon in his Manual of C'onchology (v, .'i, p. 107), and Prof 

 Button, in his " Revision of the liecent Lamellibranchiata of New Zea- 

 land" (Proc. Linn. Soc. New South Wales, v. 9, p. 520, 18H4). 



Procaediugs National Must'utn, Vol. XIV— Xo. 883. ^^ 



605 



