50 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 7f, 



tcrata, Group B, Tunicata, Group C, Echinodcrmata, and Group D, 

 Vermes, as follows : 



Linnaeus (1758a, 657) validated Holothuria nomenclatorially as 

 generic name under which he united two earlier genera to which he 

 did not grant the rank of subdivisions, namely : 



Group A, The Portuguese Man of War [Holothuria'^'^ 1741 ; Arethusa'^'^ 1756; 

 and Physalis^*]. 

 I. H. physalis, for which he cited the earlier names: Holothuria^ 

 Rumphius; Arethusa'^* Browne; and Physalis pelagica'^*. 

 Group B, Three Jamaican salps [genus Thalia Browne," 1756]. 



2. H. thalia, based on Thalia i. of Browne, 1756a, p. 384, pi. 43, fig. 3. 



3. H. caudata, based on Thalia 2, of Browne, 1756a, p. 384, pi. 43, 



fig. 4. 



4. H. deniidata, based on Thalia 3, Browne, 1756a, p. 384. 



Essentially, therefore, Holothuria 1758 equals Holothuria 1741 

 (syns. Arethiisa 1756 and Physalis) + Thalia 1756. 



That the first species (H. physalis) should have been taken as 

 genotype by later authors is clear from the following facts : 



(i) Holothuria 1758 is based directly upon Holothuria 1741; 



(2) Linnaeus' rule, in case of a division of a genus, reads: 



Si genus receptum, secundum jus naturae et artis, in plura dirimi debet, turn 

 nomen ante commune manebit vulgatissimse et officinali plantse. 



(3) As the Portuguese Man of War was observed, named, and 

 reported by various authors, it was clearly, from Linnaeus' viewpoint, 

 more common than any one of the three species of the Thalia group, 

 which were based upon the publication by only one author. 



^° Rumphius (1741a, 49-50) described and named Holothuria, without bi- 

 nomial, stating that it belonged to the so-called Urticaria marina. Rumphius' 

 animal is apparently Physalia of modern authors. 



"Browne (1756a, 386) is not accessible to the Secretary; in a later edition, 

 Browne (1789a, 386) uses Aretusa for "The Portuguese Man of War" (Phy- 

 salia of modern authors) and (1789a, 384) he uses Thalia as follows : 



TJialia i. Oblonga, crista, perpendiculari compressa quadrata, lineis later- 



alibus integris. Tab. 43 f. 3. 

 Thalia 2. Oblonga caudata, crista depressa rotundata, lineis lateralibus 



interruptis. Tab. 43. f. 4. 

 Thalia 3. Oblonga, lineis interruptis, cauda et crista destituta. 



As he uses the names "3, Holothuria thalia. 4, Holothuria caudata" in 

 the explanation on plate 43, it seems clear that Thalia 1756 is not validated 

 in 1789. 



From descriptions and figures, all three of Browne's species appear to be 

 salps in the modern sense, but without re-examining the Jamaican salps it 

 would be difficult or impossible to determine what particular genera and 

 species are referred to. 



