COMMERSON, 1803 69 



LVIII. COMMERSON, Lacepcde, Histoire Naturelle des Poissotts, II, 

 1798; III, 1800: IV, V, 1803. 



Philibert Commerson. 



Commerson was an active and accurate naturalist-explorer who col- 

 lected .nainly in the South Seas. Mis specimens were accompanied by 

 manuscript names, polynomial in form. The author had a full grasp 

 of the meaning of "genus," as he spoke sometimes of a "genus novissi- 

 mum," Xyster, for example. Many of his generic names were adopted 

 by Lacepede and have found their way into the system. The others are 

 here enumerated. These have been formally accepted as eligible by the 

 International Commission (Opinions 23 and 24 as to Antennarius and 

 Aspro). We think that this decision might well be reconsidered as 

 Commerson was not "binomial" and his names were not adopted by the 

 author who first printed them as synonyms. 



The names of Commerson may be ineligible as not binomial as to 

 species and not accepted by the author who published them. Accepted 

 provisionally by the International Commission. 



Antennarius Commerson, I, 327, 1798, footnote; type Antennarius 



BIVERTEX TOTUS ATER PUNCTO MEDIORUM, LATERUM ALBO Commcr- 



son (in foot-note) = Lophi us commersonianus Lacepede. 

 Equivalent to Chironectes Cuvier and Antennarius Cuvicr. Regarded as 

 eligible, in Opinion 24, International Commission. 



Alticus Commerson, II, 458, 1800, footnote under Blennius; type 

 Alticus saltatorius pinna spuria in capite vertice, Blennius 

 SALiENS Lacepede. 

 Accepted by Jordan & Scale, Fishes Samoa, 421, 1806. Equivalent to Rupis- 



CARTES Swainson, Cuv. & Val., XI, 337, 1836, adopted the name Salarias alticus 



for the Blennius saliens, "un petit Salarias qui nous parait etre celui-la mcmc 



pour Icqucl Commerson a etabli son genre, Alticus." 



Sciaenus Commerson, III, footnote under Caranxomorus; type Sci^nus 

 EX Fusco c,«rui.i:.s( ENS : Caranxomorus sacrestinus Lacepede, 

 Labrus furcatus Lacepede. 

 Identical with Aphareus Cuv. & Val., the name apparently a variant of Sci- 



MN^, Apparently ineligible. 



Naseus Commerson, III, 105, under Naso; type Naseus frontkoknis 

 Fuscus Commerson (CiiyETODON fronticornis L.). 

 Equivalent to Naso Lacepede, Naseus Cuv. & Val. 



