NO. I OPINIONS 68 TO "/"] 



OPINION 69 



The Type Species of Sparus Linn.5£us, 1758 

 SUMMARY. — Fleming, 1828, 211, does not designate the type of Spams. 



Statement of case. — Chancellor David Starr Jordan has sub- 

 mitted the following case for opinion : 



THE TYPE OF SPARUS L. 



The genus Sparus L. was subdivided by Cuvier (1817, vol. 2, pp. 271-274, 

 Regne Animal), who failed to retain the name for any of its parts. 



Fleming (1828, pp. 211-212, History of British Animals) recognized three 

 genera among the Linnsean species — Spams, Pagrus Cuvier (Sparus pagrus 

 L.) and Dentex Cuvier (Sparus dentcx L.). Under Sparus he says: 



"Gen. LXVII. Sparus, Gilthead. Four or six teeth in each jaw, in one 

 row ; the rest of the jaw paved with large round teeth, with blunt summits." 



One species is mentioned, Sparus aurata L., which is the common " Gilt- 

 head," the type of Chrysophrys Cuvier, 1817, and of Aurata Risso, 1826. 



Does this constitute a restriction of Sparus to S. aurata? Common usage 

 so regards it. Later authors have proposed to use the name for other Lin- 

 naean species of Sparus. 



The other species, formerly referred to Sparus, are never called " Gilthead." 



Discussion. — The case of Sparus involves the same principles as 

 the case of Plciironcctcs (see Opinion 68). 



The details of the premises presented by Doctor Jordan are as 

 f ollov^s : 



Linnaeus (1758a, pp. 277-282, Systema Naturae) included in the 

 gentis Sparus 22 species, as follows : i , aurata; 2, annularis ; 3. sargus; 

 4, melanurus; 5, smaris; 6, msena; 7, saxatilis; 8, orplius ; 9, hurta; 

 10, erytJirinns ; 11, pagrus; 12, hoops; 13, cantharus; 14, chromis; 15, 

 salpa; 16, synagris; 17, dentex; 18, spinus; 19, virginiciis; 20, mormy- 

 rus; 21, capistratus ; 22, galilsens. 



Cuvier (181 7, vol. 2, pp. 268-272, Regne Animal) distributed 

 original Linnaean species among the following systematic units : 



Percoides 

 g. Smaris Cuvier, 1817 [not Smaris Latreille, 1796, arach.], including — 

 Sparus msena L. 



Sparus smaris L. [type by absolute tautonymy], together with certain 

 other species mentioned in footnote, 

 g. Boops Cuvier, 1817, including — 

 Sparus salpa L. 

 Sparus melanurus L. 

 Sparus boops L. [type by absolute tautonymy]. 



