68 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 73 



In regard to the first premise, it may be pointed out that Oiko- 

 pleura Mertens, 1831, is a monotypic genus based upon Oik. chamis- 

 sonis, and further that Oikoplenra is a dehberate renaming of Ap- 

 pendiailaria Chamisso and Eysenhardt, monotype Ap. Uagelhim (re- 

 named Oikoplenra chamissonis with same type locaHty). The Ap- 

 pellants claim (see case of Appcndicularia) that the type of this genus 

 (Ap. flagellnm [ = Oikoplenra chamissonis]) is not recognizable. 

 Fol (1872a, p. 469) claims that Oik. chamissonis {=Ap. Uageilum 

 renamed) is one of the three species of Oikoplenra [i. e., Appen- 

 dicidaria] that is recognizable. 



Accordingly, the Appellants' presentation of the case is not suffi- 

 ciently clear to serve as final premises for decision. 



If Oikoplenra bifnrcata is a true Oikoplenra, Fritillaria 185 1 be- 

 comes a synonym of Appendicnlaria 1820, since Oikoplenra 1831 is 

 Appendicnlaria 1820 renamed. Accordingly, under this premise, 

 Fritillaria 185 1 can become valid only in case its type species is 

 placed in some genus or subgenus other than that to which chamis- 

 sonis = flag ellmn is assigned. 



The statement that another name would have to be used for Fritil- 

 laria 1872 was, on basis of the premises, correct, and Bartsch (1915a) 

 has proposed such a name {Fritillnm). 



On basis of the presentation by the Appellants, supplemented by 

 the foregoing data, the Secretary finds that : 



(i) The presentation of the case is incomplete; 



(2) If all of the essential facts are now before us, Fritillaria 

 1872 presents a very simple case that calls for the application of the 

 Rule of Homonyms and the Law of Priority ; 



(3) The Appellants have not yet shown that an application of the 

 Rules in this case will result in greater confusion than uniformity, 

 especially since a suspension of the Rules would tend to validate 

 Fol's principle that when an author considers as obscure the descrip- 

 tion upon which a name is based, he is at liberty to use this name in 

 any way he may desire. 



On basis of the foregoing data, the Secretary recommends that 

 the Commission adopt as its Opinion the following: 



(i) As Fritillaria Huxley, 1851 (= Fretillaria Aga.ssiz, 1842) is 

 based upon an animal (Oikoplenra bifnrcata) with known type lo- 

 cality and said to occur in large numbers, it would appear possible 

 to determine definitely what this organism is. 



(2) If Oikoplenra bifnrcata is a true Oikoplenra, Fritillaria 185 1 

 becomes a synonym of Appendicnlaria 1820 (syn. Oikoplenra 1831). 



