46 



selbst, die oft gerade bei naheverwandten Arten äußerst verschieden 

 ist. Bekannt ist dies jedem Systematiker, der sich mit dem Be- 

 stimmen der Spinnen beschäftigt hat, und das ist zu verstehen, da 

 diese streng sohtär lebenden Räuber, die erst zur Fortpflanzung ein- 

 ander näher treten, dann vielleicht noch kein Tier der gleichen Art 

 gesehen haben. Manche Systematiker nennen die äußeren weiblichen 

 Geschlechtsteile dann ein Schloß, um damit anzudeuten, daß die an 

 den Tastern der Männchen befindlichen ebenso kompliziert gebauten 

 männlichen Copulationsorgane zu ihnen wie ein Schlüssel zu einem 



Schloß passen. 



(Fortsetzung folgt.) 



II. Mitteilungen aus Museen, Instituten usw. 



1. Notice to the Zoological Profession of a possible Suspension of the 



international Rules of Zoological Nomenclature in the Cases of Musca 



Linnaeus, 1758, and Calliphora Desvoidy, 1830^ 



In accordance with the Rules of the International Zoological 

 Congress, the attention of the zoological profession is invited to the 

 fact that Dr. L. 0. Howard, W. Dwight Pierce, and 21 other 

 professional zoologists have requested the International Commission 

 on Zoological Nomenclature to exercise its Plenary Power in the 

 case of the Linnaean genus Musca 1758, and, under suspension of 

 the Rules, to declare M. domestica as type of this genus, also, under 

 suspension of the Rules, to validate Calliphora Desvoidy, 1830, with 

 C. vomitoria as type. 



The request is based on the grounds of practical utility, and an 

 almost unbroken history of consistent usage since 1758 in the case 

 of Musca, and since 1830 in the case of Calliphora. It is claimed 

 that a strict application of the Rules will produce greater confusion 

 than uniformity. 



According to the premises at present before the Commission, if 

 the Rules are strictly applied, the generic name of Musca would 

 take either M. caesar or M. vomitoria as type, and the species M. 

 domestica would be cited either in Conostoma 1801 [?J (type Ascaris 

 conostoma = larva of M. domestica] or in Conosoma 1802 (type As- 

 caris conosoma = larva of M. domestica] or in Fromusca 1915 (type 

 M. domestica), thus resulting in a very regrettable change in the nomen- 



1 On account of delay caused by the war, iinal vote will not be taken un- 

 til about January 1, 1924. 



