122 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 2 46 



rately or fancifully described sperm whales. As such, they are treated as 

 conspecific. 



With regard to the name of the type species of Physeter, the selection of 

 catodon by Thomas as the first or earliest name for the sperm whale is 

 strictly in accordance with the First Reviser Principle (cf. Code of Nomen- 

 clature, Article 24(a) (i)) and must stand. On the other hand, Murray's 

 arrangement of catodon as a junior synonym of macrocephalus is merely part 

 of an uncritical classification of mammals included in the appendix to his 

 book on zoogeography. Murray compiled names without dates, biblio- 

 graphic references, or regard for priority. Nowhere does he make "it clear 

 that he believes [the synonyms] to represent the same taxonomic unit" 

 (Art. 24) or even address himself to a taxonomic or nomenclatorial problem. 



Family HYPEROODONTIDAE 



Genus TASMACETUS Oliver 



Tasmacetus Oliver, 1937, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 107: 371. 



Type species: Tasmacetus shepherdi Oliver, by original designation. 

 Distribution: New Zealand waters. 



Tasmacetus shepherdi Oliver 



Tasmacetus shepherdi Oliver, 1937, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 107: 371, 

 pis. 1-5 (animal).— McCann, 1964, Tuatara, 12(2): 124 [S. Pacific: 

 New Zealand (Ohawe, Wanganui; Mason Bay, Stewart Island; New 

 Brighton Beach, Christchurch ; Summer Spit, Christchurch)]. 



Type : Nearly complete skeleton of a stranded whale, Wonganui Museum, 

 New Zealand; collected December 1933 by G. Shepherd. 



Type locality : Beach at Ohawe, Taranaki, west coast of North Island, 

 New Zealand. 



Distribution : The same as for the genus. 



Genus BERARDIUS Duvernoy 



Berardius Duvernoy, 1851, Ann. Sci. Nat., Paris, (3), Zool. 15: 52, 68. — 

 Flower, 1874, Trans. Zool. Soc. London, 8: 212 [characters; taxon- 

 omy].— True, 1910, Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus., 73: 60 [characters].— 

 Harmer, 1924, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1924: 545 [characters]. — 

 Fraser and Purves, 1960, Bull. Brit. Mus. (Nat. Hist.), Zool., 7: 39, 41, 

 fig. 26 (table) [auditory system; classification]. 



Berardus Gray, 1863, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1863: 200 [emendation of 

 Berardius Duvernoy]. 



Paikea Oliver, 1922, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1922: 574 [included 

 species: Berardius hectori (=B. arnuxi Duvernoy), type by original 

 designation; Mesoplodon mirus True]. 



