148 THE GUNNELS OB BUTTERFISHES—GILL. vol. xviii. 



We are thus simply following out the principle of subordinating the 

 description to usage and restriction by elimination to a natural genus. 

 As this usage will not entail change it will doubtless be generally 

 acceptable. Ophidion and Ophulium can not be used for different 

 genera, the latter being simply an improved form of the earlier name. 

 Some if not most of the American zoologists will probably prefer the 

 earlier form, Ophidion.^ I am, however, disposed under the circum- 

 stances to accept the later name, OphidiumJ^ 



II. 



In 17G3 Gronovius, in his "Zoophylacium," established a new genus 

 called Pholis (p. 78) for the Blemiins gun)ieUns, and this was the only 

 species mentioned, though he evidently had others in mind.^ The 

 most distinct generic characters were the extent and structure of the 

 dorsal fin.^ 



The genus of Gronovius, in the opinions of many, at least, is inad- 

 missible, as that author had not yet become a binomialist. The single 

 species of Pholis, for example, was named " Pholis maculis annulatis 

 ad i^innam dorsalem; pinnis ventralibus obsoletis." Nevertheless a 

 few would admit his genera. In the special case under consideration, 

 fortunately, there need be no conflict, as the genus Pholis was soon 

 reenforced by a binomialist. 



Scopoli, in 1777,^ introduced the genus under his "Gens iii, Ano 

 medio," and "Divisio ii, Thoracici," in the following terms: 



*288. Pholis Gronov. Dorsum infra medium pinnatum. PinncT ventrales nullse, 

 liariimqne loco ramenta pectoralia. Hiscenotis, ut & ani situ differt a Blennio. 



The genus was thus reenforced, and the type is of course the only 

 species mentioned by Gronovius — Pholis gunnellus=Blennius gunnelluSj 

 Linnaeus. 



It is not evident what Gronovius and Scopoli meant by the statement 

 that the dorsal commenced at the middle of the length (" a dorso medio "), 

 as the figure published by Gronovius corre(!tly represents the dorsal 

 commencing near the nape. There can, nevertheless, be no doubt that 

 Pholis w&s based on the common gunnel, and that being the first name 

 (after Ophidion) it should be adopted for the genus. 



Subsequent names do not require much consideration. 



'The Ophidion imberbe is conspecific with the Blennius gunnellus described by 

 Linnaeus on a previous page (p. 257) of the same volume. The ventrals of B. guvnellns 

 had the same formula as those of 0. imberbe ("V. 2"). 



'The O. macrophthalma of the tenth edition was transferred to tlie new genus 

 Cepola and named C. rubescens in the twelfth (p. 445). The proper name of that 

 species, therefore, is Cepola macrophthalma. 



^Pinnce v. vel. vii. . . . Ventrales in quibusdam nullae, nisi Ramenta obtusa in 

 pectore sub pectoralibus pro pinnis habentur, in aliis vero aunt distinctissimae. 

 Gronovius in diagnose generis, p. 78. 



*Dorsalis unica, a dorso medio usque ad caudam extensa, & ossiculis parum 

 aculeatis suffulta. 



6 Int. Hist. Nat., p. 456, 1777. 



