NOTE ON THE FISH GENERA NAMED MACKODON. 



By Theodore Gill, 



Honorary Assonate hi. Zoology. 



Having had occasion recently to consider a question rolati\c to the 

 Scifenids, I found that Drs. Jordan and Evermann had adopted the 

 name Sagen/chfhy.s of Berg (1805) for the genus called Ancijlodoi) h\ 

 Cuvier (1817). No new name was necessary, however, as one had 

 been given long before as a substitute. The facts should be made 

 known now in order to avoid the continuance of improper usage. 



I. 



Ancylodon was used l)y Cuvier (1817) for a geiuis of Scia'uoid fishes 

 and was generally adopted for that genus till 18!>5. It had, however, 

 been used previously (1811) by Illiger for a genus of Ziphioid ceta- 

 ceans. This was known to Dr. H. K. Schinz, the translator of the 

 first edition of Cuvier\s Kegne Animal, and in his work (Das Thier- 

 reich) published in 1822 he substituted (H, 482) the name " Die Gross- 

 zahne, Xacrodnnr for '' Ancydodon, Cuv." or '^Ancylodour and in a 

 footnote (H, 483) indicated "'Das Wort Ancylodoiu Hackenzahn. kann 

 deswegen nicht gebraucht werden, well eine Walliischart so genannt 

 wird. ^ Es o-ehort dahin: LoncInmiH anry/odon, Schncid." 



This is in every respect perfectly regular, but the fact has been 

 universallv overlooked. 



n. 



MuTodon was used by Johannes Muller in 1842, in the Arch.v tur 

 Anatomie, Phvsiologie [etc.], p. 308, for a genus of the tamdy ot 

 Erythrinids (bV him associated with his family of Characins) and has 

 been nniversal'lv retained for it ever since. The previous use of the 

 name bv Schinz (in 1822), however, renders it untenable tor a late 

 genus, and the one designated by Muller may receive the new i.mi^ 



PROCEEDINGS U.S National MUSEUM, VOL. XXVI-No. 1349. ^_^^_ 



Froc. N. M. vol. xxvi— 02 <^8 



