8 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 73 



should be preferred to the later Lycodontis McClelland based on one of the 

 species of Gymnothorax. The case for the use of Gyninothorax is stated in 

 Jordan, Genera of Fishes p. 168, that for its suppression on p. 53. 



Lampetra Gray, 1851 : type Petromyzon fluviatilis L. 



The type of Ammocoetiis Dumeril, 1806, Petromyzon plancri, is a larval 

 lamprey of uncertain genus, and the name may be preferably used (as Aniino- 

 coetes) as the designation for larval lampreys ; while Lampetra, the earliest 

 name based on Pctromyzon fluz'iafilis L. may be retained. 



Malapterurus Lacepede, 1803 : type Silunts clectriciis L. 



In 177s, Forskal discovered the Electric Catfish of the Nile (Silunis clcc- 

 tricus L.), which he confused with the Electric Ray (Raja torpedo L.) and 

 which seemed to him to justify generic separation from Raja. He questions 

 whether it might be allied to Monnyrus or whether it might find a place among 

 the torpedoes of Rondelet, or might it be type of a new genus. "Aut potius 

 novum constituere genus. Certe determinatur torpedinis Character Gcncrieus : 

 Piscis branchiostegus : apertura lineari, obliqua supra pinnae pectorales; cor- 

 pore nudo; pinnis ventralibus sen abdominalibus ; dentibus numerossissimis 

 densis, subulatis." This statement leaves no question as to the species in 

 mind. 



In view of the confusion in Forskfd's account, and the uncertain fashion 

 in which he describes the supposititious new genus, I suggest that the current 

 'use of Torpedo for the Electric Ray and Malapterurus for the Electric Cat- 

 fish be approved. 



[Apstein 1915a, 188: Jllalaptcrunis Lacep., 1803, type clectricus Gmel., 1788.] 



MusTELUS Linck, 1790: type Squalus vmstelus L. {=z Mustelus laevis). 



The generic name Mustelus has been applied to a genus of sharks, typified 

 hy Squalus mustelus L. by several authors (Linck, i/^o; Leach, 1812; Fischer, 

 1813 ; and Cuvier, 1817). This Linnaean species is however based on refer- 

 ences to both the two European species of this group, now usually regarded 

 as belonging to different genera or subgenera. These have been usually called 

 Mustelus laevis Risso, the " smooth hound " and Mustelus stellatus Risso 

 (cams), the "spotted hound." Those of the early writers who recognized 

 these fishes failed to use the specific name vmstelus for either, or else applied 

 it to both. 



Linck, the earliest writer to propose the name Miistelits, however, dis- 

 tinctly mentions Mustelus laevis as a synonym of Squalus mustelus L. and 

 as his type, a fact which must fix the name Mustelus mustelus on the " Smooth 

 Hound." The name thus replaces Pleuracromyloii Gill. Galeus Rafinesque (as 

 restricted by Jordan and Evermann, to 5". viustehts L.) is also a sjnionym of 

 Mustelus. 



The genus containing the " Spotted Hound " should then stand as Cyiiias 

 Gill, the type species standing as Cynias caiiis (Mitchill). 



Valmont de Bomare, 1768, speaks of the "Spotted Hound" as "Galeus 

 astcrias aut Mustelus stcllaris; chien de mer a taches rondcs." But this 

 binomial combination is merely a Latin translation of the French, certainly 

 not intended as a scientific name. 



