24 BULLETIN 2 00, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



name in the original or at any later time thus has no bearing what- 

 ever on the use of parentheses. 



(A request for ruling on the use of parentheses was sent to the Inter- 

 national Commission many years ago. It was published in the 

 Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature in August 1945 but has not yet 

 been acted upon.) 



4. FIXATION 



The first valid designation or other fixation is listed, giving the refer- 

 ence and method. For example, under Brachydirus Nordmann, 1837a, 

 p. 131, 



Fixed bp: Nordmann, 1837a, p. 131, by monotypy. 



Under Oorynocerus as above, 



Fixed 'by: Eichelbauin, 1915, p. 104, through objective synonymy with Tro- 

 gophloeus, of which corticinus had already been fixed as genotype. 



5. LATER CITATIONS 



All later citations or attempts at fixation of genotype are listed with 

 bibliographic references. If the designation was unacceptable for 

 some reason other than that it was not the first one, that fact is noted. 

 For example, 



Later citations: A. torquatum (Marsham), by Westwood, 1840a, p, 156, not 

 originally included. A. minutnm (Fabricius), by Thomson, 1859, p. 50, 

 not originally included. A. meJanocephalum (Fabricius), by Crotch, 1870, 

 p. 233. 



If there were older but invalid designations, they are listed with 

 these, but the heading is changed to "Other citations." In listing the 

 species cited, the correct form with its original author is used unless 

 the citation being quoted obviously intended a later use or incorporated 

 a serious error, in which case the exact form is given in quotation 

 marks. 



6. DISCUSSION 



Any necessary explanatory facts about the type fixation or other 

 citations are given here, such as the identity of the genotype species, 

 the reason for erroneous designations, and additional details on the 

 fixation itself. 



7. SYNONYMIC HOMONYMS 



When a writer publishes a name as new in two or more publications, 

 confusion is inevitable, for a later person with either paper before 

 him will think he is using the original publication. It is very important 

 to point out these cases. The two names are in a sense separately pub- 

 lished, yet they are identical. They are therefore homonyms. But 

 they are also absolute synonyms. By listing them as synonymic 

 homonyms it is hoped to emphasize the situation as well as the oldest 

 usage. For example. 



