triE VICTOKIAN NATURALIST. l5,5 



They may be from any language or from none. We may make 

 up a word out of any jumble of letters we choose, as in the case 

 of Clanculus, or we may twist words round, as in the name Alcedo, 

 and get Dacelo. Once a name is " published and accompanied 

 by an indication, or a definition, or a description ; and . . . . 

 the author has applied the principles of binary nomenclature," 

 then, provided the group of objects has not been previously 

 named in accordance with these rules, the name is valid. Once 

 a name is thus given, it can never be recalled ; the question of 

 appropriateness cannot be raised. It is now merely a name, 

 and as such has no meaning. Thus, for example, Ogilby, in 

 1838, described the Pig-footed Bandicoot as Chceropus ecaudatus, 

 the Tailless Chceropus. Four years later Gray found that it had a 

 tail, and that Ogilby had worked on a mutilated skin. He said 

 ecaudatus was then inapplicable, as it meant having certain 

 qualities, and so renamed it castanotis, the Chestnut-backed. But 

 according to the rule we must go back to Ogilby's name, for 

 ecaudatus ceased to have a meaning as soon as it became a 

 name. 



Another point may be noticed. The author of a scientific 

 name is he who first used it according to the rule mentioned 

 above. We quote an author's name for two reasons — firstly that 

 we may be guided where to look for the original description, and 

 secondly that in the case of two things having been accidentally 

 described under the one name we may know which is meant. In 

 the case of a species the specific name carries about the name of 

 its author, even if we put it in another genus. As an additional 

 guide, if it be so transferred, we put the author's name in 

 brackets. Thus Gould described Polytelis alexandrai. North 

 made the species the type of a new genus, SjJathopterus. If we 

 accept the genus, which is a point I have nothing to do with, we 

 now write Spathopterus alexandrce (Gould), and if we like we 

 may put the nam.e North after (Gould), thus: — Spathopterus 

 alexandrai (Gould) North, no commas or other slops being used. 

 We may use a capital for alexandrce or not as we choose, and 

 may print the name of the bird in any type we like, though we 

 are recommended to use some other type than that of the text. 

 The question of type, and that of writing out diphthongs in full, 

 seem to be matters to be left to the editor, who will be guided by 

 the custom of his publication. They are unimportant. 



Space will allow of the notice of only one more rule. There 

 are two words in use which may be defined. A " synonym " is 

 a different name for one and the same thing; a "homonym" 

 is the same name for two or more different things. Rule 36 

 says : — " Rejected homonyms can never again be used ; rejected 

 synonyms can again be used in case of the restoration of 

 erroneously suppressed groups." There has been some con- 



