2,6 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 73 



p. 214 ff., Blatta is used both for roaches and (as Blatfa hizantia Ron- 

 del etti) for the operculum of an African mollusk. 



Vol. 3, p. 503, Cuniculus, the rabbit, with species, quoted from Gesner. 



Vol. 5, 177s, p. 52, Mandril refers to large man-like apes on the Gold Coast of 

 Africa, bipeds, not quadrupeds. The word might be interpreted as 

 a generic name by some authors or might be interpreted as a ver- 

 nacular name. If interpreted as a generic name some authors would 

 probably look upon this as the correct name for the chimpanzee. 



Vol. 2, p. 278, " Bos, der Ochs " ; 



p. 286, "Bos pisces" (referring to Bos Plin., a fish). 



Sherborn (iQ02a) cites the Onomatologia in the bibliography to his 

 Index Animalium, part I, but he rejects its names on the ground 

 that they are not binominal "[n. b.]." 



As a source of historical information on the early ideas and con- 

 cepts in zoology this Onomatologia is undoubtedly a wonderful and 

 valuable piece of work which will be found useful by any zoologist 

 dealing with species published prior to 1777. 



The publication in question is exceedingly rare and difficult to 

 obtain. Its acceptance in nomenclature would place numerous sys- 

 tematists working on Linnean genera and species at a very distinct 

 disadvantage and at this late date in the progress of nomenclature it 

 would be difficult to justify the imposition of this inconvenience to 

 specialists in the Linnean genera, especially since this might involve 

 financial outlays which science can ill afford in the present state of 

 world economics. 



The one and only argument in favor of the acceptance of this work 

 on a nomenclatorial basis, as far as the Secretary can see, is repre- 

 sented by the principle of the blind adherence to the Law of Priority 

 no matter what the consequences may be. 



Under the circumstances the Secretary recommends the adoption 

 of the following as the Opinion of the Commission : 



Summary. — Because of room for difference of opinion in inter- 

 preting many of the names in Gmelin's (1758-77) Onomatologia 

 Historiae Naturalis Completa, their adoption in nomenclature would 

 produce greater confusion than uniformity. Accordingly under Sus- 

 pension of the Rules (if need be) this entire work (vols. 1-7) is 

 hereby excluded from use under the International Rules of Zoological 

 Nomenclature. 



Opinion prepared by Stiles. 



Opinion concurred in by twelve (12) Commissioners: Apstein. 

 Bather, Chapman, Dabbene, Handlirsch, Horvath, Jordan (K.), 

 Silvestri, Stejneger, Stiles, Stone, Warren. 



Opinion dissented from by no Commissioner. 



Not voting, six (6) Commissioners: Bolivar, Hartert, Ishikawa, 

 Jordan (D. S.), Kolbe, Neveu-Lemaire. 



