6 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 73 



I propose that, subject to possil)le new information, the following 

 current generic names be provisionally legalized with the type species 

 indicated, notwithstanding certain contrary arguments of greater or 

 less validity, but in no case clear-cut and conclusive. 



Aetobatus Blainville, 1816: type Raja nariiiari Euphra^en. 



The name Aetobatus was applied by Blainville to the Eagle Rays, of which 

 Raja aqiiila L. ^ Aetobatus vulgaris Blainville would be the natural type. But 

 as the genus Myliobatis (Dumeril) Cuvier, 1817, had been established also for 

 the Eagle Rays, the first reviser, Miiller & Henle adopted both names, assigning 

 R. aquila to Myliobatis and an unwonted type, R. narinari to Aetobatus. From 

 this arrangement Cantor (1849) dissented making Myliobatis a synonym of 

 Ai'tobatits and giving a new name, Stoasodon to R. narinari. It will create 

 less confusion, however, to let the first revision stand, accepting R. narinari 

 as type of Aetobatus. 



Conger Cuvier, 1817 : type Muracna conger L. 



The name Lepioccphalus was given by Gronow, a non-binomial author, in 

 1763 to a translucent ribljon-like larva, now shown to be that of the Conger 

 Eel. In binomial nomenclature, this name dates from its adoption by Scopoli 

 in 1777. The name Cotiger, used by Houttuyn in 1764, is said not to be available, 

 although noted as such in Jordan, Genera of Fishes, p. 22. 



As Leptoccphalus and its derivatives have been in use for more than a 

 century as the designation of these peculiar larvae I recommend that this use 

 be continued and that the generic name of the Conger eels be established as 

 Conger, in accordance with current usage. 



[Apstein, 1915a, 187: Conger Cuv., 1817, type lulgaris Richards, 1844.] 



CoREGONUS Linnaeus, 1758: type Sahno laz'arctus L. 



The generic name Coregouus, taken from Artedi, is given by Linnaeus in the 

 plural form only as Coregoni. The sub-generic names Truttae (Salnio iriitta), 

 Osmerus (Salnio epcrlanus) and Characinus (Salnio gibbosus) appear in the 

 same fashion as plurals. To reject these names in almost universal use, to 

 substitute some possible later synonym would be a source of needless confusion. 

 I recommend that these plural nouns be maintained as valid. 



[Apstein, 1915a, 187: Coregonus Cuv., 1817, type zvartmanni Bl., 1784.] 



Eleotrts Bloch and Schneider, iSoi : type llleotris gyrinus Cuv. & Val. 



The generic name Eleotris first appears in Gronow, Zoophylaceum p. 183, 

 '^7(^3, with a good description and three species polynomially named, the name 

 Eleotris being especially associated with a Chinese species, Gobiiis eleotris L., 

 Gobius chineiisis Osbeck. The other, apparently a true " Eleotris" was named 

 Cobius pisonis by Gmelin (178;;), and Ciobius antorea by Walbaum (179J). 



The first binomial author to revive the name Eleotris is Schneider in his 

 edition of Bloch. The genus is here nominally equivalent to Gobius, the ventral 

 fins being described as " connexae," a statement true of some of the species 

 named but not of the Eleotris of (ironow. No species belonging to the genus 

 Eleotris as now understood is included, though reference is made to Eleotris 

 pisonis as a " species non definienda." 



