NO. 5 oriNioNS 98 TO 104 II 



placing cuspidaliis in the genus Syriiu/otliyris of Winchell. Lender heading 

 Trigonotrcia. Dall said " T. stokcsii Ki'm. I. c. selected as type." 



Davidson, 1880 (Mon. Foss. Brach., Vol. 4, p. 278) described cuspidatus as 

 belonging to the genus Syringothyns of Winchell 1863 and placed it in the 

 synonymy of .S". typa Winchell. 



In 1890 Schuchert (9th Ann. Rep. -State Geol. New York, p. 30) distinguished 

 Syringothyris cuspidata from .S". typa but accepted it as belonging to Syringo- 

 thyris and not Spirifcr. .V. fypa he showed to be synonymous with -S". carteri 

 of Hall, which, having priority, became the genotype of Syringothyris. 



Anomia striata has been accepted as genotype of Spirifer by Hall & Clarke 

 (Paleontology, New York, Vol. 8, pt. 2, p. 7, 1894), Schuchert (Bull. U. S. 

 Geol. Surv., 1897, p. 380), S. S. Buckman (Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc, 1908, 

 Vol. 64, p. 29) and by others. 



Hall and Clarke after a brief review of the facts stated that " an inversion 

 of the terms could only induce lamentable disorder in nomenclature." They 

 regarded Trigonotrcia as a precise synonym of Spirifcr. Buckman quoted 

 Trigonotrcta. genotype stokcsii, for a group of species distinct from Spirifcr 

 striattis. 



In 1913 F. J. North (Geo!. Mag., Vol. X, p. 394), among other statements 

 inconsistent with the data as here given, says tliat J. Sowerby in 1815 founded 

 his genus .Spirifcr with Anomia striata as his genotype. 



In 1919, J. Allan Thomson (Geol. Mag., Vol. VI, p. 371) draws attention 

 to the fact that tlie generic name Spirifcr is wrongly used for the group 

 including .-luoinifcs striatits Martin, and that it should be restricted to tlie group 

 including Anonritcs cuspidatus of Martin, and should replace Syringothyris 

 Winchell. He is, however, in favor of retaining the genus Spirifcr with geno- 

 type A. striatus contrary to the laws of nomenclature. 



In consideration of these facts it is asked that the Law of Priority be sus- 

 pended in the case of .Spirifcr Sowerby, and that it be fixed with Anomia 

 (or Tcrcbratula) striata Martin as genotype, leaving Syri)tgothyris with .Spiri- 

 fcr cartcri Hall as genotype and including Syringothyris cuspidata (Martin). 



Discussion. — Comniissioner Bather reports : 



I have checked the references in Miss Wood's statement of the case, and 1 

 find that 



(i) According to tiie rules the genotype of Spirifcr is .Ijtoinia cuspidata 

 Martin ; 



(2) According to the rules .Syringothyris is a synonym of Spirifcr; 



(3) All writers of importance for the past 70 years, in conscious oi)i)osition 

 to the rules, take Anomia striata Martin as genotype of .Spirifcr, and maintain 

 Syringothyris with genotype Spirifcr cartcri Hall or a synonym thereof. 



To avoid the confusion that would be introduced into two well-known 

 Brachiopod genera, one of which is widely distributed with a large number of 

 species, I propose as the opinion of the Commission : 



That the Rules be suspended in the case of Spirifcr and Syri)iguthyris so tliat 

 the former may be fixed with genotype .liunnia striata Martin and the latter 

 with genotype Syringothyris typa Winchell (= .Spirifcr cartcri Hall). 



