SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 73 



b. It would require, under the By-Laws, a two-thirds vote of the Com- 

 mission to reverse Opinion 53 in the case of D. venustus. 



c. As the orginal publication of D. venustus 1897 mentioned only two 

 localities (New Mexico and Texas), only these two localities and no 

 other come into consideration as type locality. (Not covered by the Inter- 

 national Rules but in harmony with Zoological practice.) 



d. The only original specimens of Marx's D. venustus mentioned by 

 Neumann in 1897 have been found and identified, and only these come into 

 consideration as type specimens. (Not covered by International Rules, 

 but in harmony with Zoological practice.) 



e. Marx No. 122, from Texas, host Ovis aries, is the first and the only 

 originally published specimen publicly or privately designated as type 

 specimen and this must remain type specimen. (Not covered by the Inter- 

 national Rules, but in harmony with Zoological practice.) 



f. D. venustus n. sp. Banks, 1908, is antedated by D. venustus 1897, hence 

 is a homonym, hence is to be suppressed. (Art. 35.) 



g. It is generally admitted (by Banks, Bishopp, Stiles, etc.) that 

 D. venustus n. sp. Banks, 1908, is specifically identical with D. andersoni 

 Stiles, (1905) 1908, but evidence is not lacking that it also contains Marx's 

 specimens 120 from New Mexico and 122 from sheep in Texas. The only 

 specimen of D. venustus 1908 known to have the label of " type " in Banks' 

 handwriting is in the U. S. National Museum (Marx No. 10) and al- 

 though Banks specifically states that his type belongs in the collection of 

 the Bureau of Entomology, the Museum specimens can be taken as Banks" 

 type until evidence of error is presented ; this specimen seems to be specifi- 

 cally identical with D. andersoni [but as it is a single specimen, it has not 

 been mounted]. Accordingly, D. venustus Banks, 1908, (nee Marx, 1897) 

 is synonymous with D. andersoni Stiles (190S) 1908. 



h. Under the International Rules D. andersoni is the earliest available 

 name for the Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever Tick, hence (Art. 25, 35) 

 it is the valid name. 



i. As a matter of propriety, I will refrain from utilizing my Commis- 

 sioner's right of vote on this case, since it involves a name proposed by 

 myself, but I obligate myself to accept the decision of the Commission 

 as determined by the By-Laws. 



j. The following documents are submitted to the reviewing Commis- 

 sioner (Stejneger) either in original or in copy, in connection with this case. 

 Banks, 1908. — Revision of the Ixodoidea < Tech. Series, No. 15, Bu- 

 reau of Entomology. 

 1910.^ — The Scientific Name of the Spotted Fever Tick < JAMA, 

 V. 55 (18), 1574-1575. 

 ? 1908. — Undated letter. Banks to Stiles regarding type specimen 

 of D. venustus. 

 Neumann, 1897a. — Revision de la famille des Ixodides. (2e memoire) 

 < Mem. Soc. Zool. France, Par., v. 10 (3-4), pp. 

 324-420. 

 Stiles, I905f. — A Zoological Investigation, etc., < Bull. 20, Hyg. Lab. 

 1907. — [Transcript of Minutes, Ent. Soc. Wash., Jan. 10, 1907, 

 pp. lo-ii, giving Secretary's abstract of Stiles' paper 

 on stigmal plates of the genus Dermacentor.] 



