34 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 73 



OPINION 123 



P. F, Gmelin's Onomatologia Historiae Naturalis 

 CoMPLETA Suppressed 



Summary. — ^Because of room for difference of opinion in interpreting many 

 of the names in Gmelin's (1758-77) Onomatologia Historiae Naturalis Com- 

 pleta, their adoption in nomenclature would produce greater confusion than 

 uniformity. Accordingly under Suspension of the Rules (if need be) this 

 entire work (vols. 1-7) is hereby excluded from use under the International 

 Rules of Zoological Nomenclature, 



Presentation of case. — In connection with a well-known generic 

 name in Insecta, J. C. Budwell of the United States National 

 Museum, Washington, D. C, has requested an opinion on the nomen- 

 clatorial status of P. F. Gmelin's Onomatologia Historiae Naturalis 

 Completa, 



Discussion. — Through the courtesy of the Surgeon General's 

 Library, United States Army, the Secretary has been able to examine 

 a complete set of this very rare and in some respects very remarkable 

 publication, which is variously attributed to Gmelin, and to Gmelin 

 (volumes 1-4) and Christman (volumes 5-/). 



The complete title as given in volume i reads : 



Onomatologia Medica Completa seu Onomatologia Historiae Naturalis oder 

 vollstiindiges Lexicon das alle Benennungen der Kunstwoerter der Naturge- 

 schichte nach ihren ganzen Umfang erklaert und den reichen Schatz der ganzen 

 Natur durch deutliche und richtige Beschreibungen des nuetzlichen und sonder- 

 baren von alien Thieren, Pflanzen und Mineralien, sowohl vor Aerzte als andere 

 Liebhaber in sich fasst zu allgemeinem Gebrauch von einer Gesellschaft natur- 

 forschender Aerzte nach den richtigsten Urkunden zusammengetragen. Ulm 

 Frankfurt und Leipzig auf Kosten der Gaumischen Handking. 1758. 



With volume 2 the chief title is dropped and the subtitle of volume I 

 is adopted to read as follows: Onomatologia Historiae Naturalis 

 Completa oder Vollstandiges Lexicon [etc.]. 



The seven volumes represent a dictionary, lexicon, or encyclopedic 

 arrangement of names (chiefly Latin) in alphabetic order. [Ono- 

 matologia, i. e., Nomenclator.] Under generic names the specific 

 names are given alphabetically. 



The last work of Linnaeus cited in the bibliography given in 

 volume I is his Systema Naturae, 1748. Thus it is clear that the 

 Onomatologia starts out on the pre-Linnean system of nomenclature 

 without reference to the Linnean system of 1751 ; furthermore, in 

 the earlier volumes the entries lack date and page references. 



In a supplementary bibliography given in volume 3, the tenth edition 

 of Linnaeus' Systema Naturae is cited, and to this the date " 1760" 

 instead of 1758 is given. Accordingly it is not strange that with this 



