176 CH. WARDELL STILES, 



„VII. § 3 b. When the larva is named before the adult: 

 „(Exception is made at least at for the present, for the cestodes, 

 trematodes, nematodes, acanthocephali, acarines, in a word, for ani- 

 mals which submit to a metaraorphosis and change of host; other- 

 wise, many of those would have to submit to a nomenclatural revi- 

 sion, which would be only temporary in character and lead to deep 

 confusion, the final result and extent of which it is now irapossible 



to foresee.)" 



This concession made in our favor can be looked upon only as 

 temporary. The claim of other zoologists that a permanent conces- 

 sion of this kind is too dangerous a precedent to establish is per- 

 fectly justified. The time will unquestionably come when we shall be 

 obliged to take larval forms into consideration in nomenclatural prop- 

 ositions, and on this account we should hold this point constantly 

 in mind. It is, however, not wise to reject the workings of this tem- 

 porary concession for years to come, and when we do finally yield 

 the point, rulings should be made only on basis of experimental in- 

 fections. The future may, however, be anticipated in many cases. For 

 instance, let us assume that a generic name Urogonimus is suddenly 

 discovered which antedates Urogonimus Monticelli, 1888 ; the latter 

 would then fall as a homonym. In this instance, it would be much 

 better to immediately Substitute Leucochloridium rather than to pro- 

 pose a new generic name. Likewise, let us assume that by some un- 

 foreseen combination of circumstances the specific name of Taenia 

 marginata^ 1782, becomes invalidated; in this event it would be ad- 

 visable to immediately use the name Taenia hydatoidea^ 1760 — a 

 name which some day will probably compel recognition. 



In fact, it is a very serious question whether we should not im- 

 mediately adopt Leucochloridium instead of Urogonimus^ and the only 

 reason why I am not inclined to do so at present is that it sets an 

 example, which if followed in cases where the life history has not 

 been demonstrated ^), would produce an eudless confusion. 



The above instances will show how exceedingly complicated the 

 subject of nomenclature is in helminthology, and this complication is 

 an additional argument in favor of our being conservative. The out- 

 loök, however, that a time will eventually come when zoology, with 

 its millions of species, will have a rational System of scientific names,. 



1) According to Looss and Braun, I have recently committed this- 

 error in connection with Clinostomum gracile. 



