454 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1907. 
cause it had the caudal peduncle of regular height * and scarcely con- 
stricted as usual in fishes. These characters are of such slight syste- 
matic importance that they have not been used in the diagnoses of the 
genera by modern ichthyologists. Further, use of them misled even 
Linné as well as his successors. Some of the consequences may be 
noticed. 
The close affinity of the “ Norway haddock ” or Swedish Kungsfisk 
or Rédfisk (Sebastes marinus) to the typical Scorpena was unper- 
ceived and that species referred to Perca and even confounded with a 
Serranus. / 
The typical Zabri of the northern seas do, indeed, have filiform 
processes of the fin membrane behind the dorsal spines, but most of 
the species referred by Linné to Zabrus do not, and among them is a 
common sunfish (auritus = Lepomis auritus) of America. 
The genus Cobitis was made to include Cyprinodonts of the genera 
Anableps and Fundulus, and thus were associated fishes differen- 
tiated from the Loaches by characters of immeasurably more impor- 
tance than the trivial one which was the sole cause of their juxta- 
position. 
Another conspicuous instance of a trivial character used as generic, 
and contrasting with very important differentials of species included 
under the same genus, is furnished by H’sow. The essential Linnean 
diagnostic character is the protrusion of the lower jaw.” Nine spe- 
cies were referred to the genus which represent no less than eight 
distinct and, mostly, widely separated families of modern system- 
atists.© Several of the species do not have the prominent lower jaw. 
and one of them (Lepisosteus osseus of modern ichthyology) is espe- 
cially distinguished by Linné himself on account of the shorter lower 
jaw.? 
But the most marked cases of insignificance of characters used to 
differentiate by the side of those serving for combination are found 
in the class Amphibia. 
The genus Lacerta is made to include all but one of the pedate 
Lizards, and the Crocodilians as well as the salamanders, but the 
“ dragons,” or Agamoid lizards with expansible ribs, are set apart in 
an independent genus.¢ 
« Cobitis. Corpus vix ad caudam angustatum. 
+ Hsoxw. Mandibula inferior longior, punctata. Syst. Nat., 58; ’66, 424. 
¢The species are (1) Sphyrena (Sphyrenide, (2) osseus (Lepisosteide), 
(3) Vulpes (Albulide), (4) Synodus (Synodontidee), (5) lweius (Luciide), 
(6) belone (Hsocidze), (7) hepsetus and (8) brasiliensis (Hxocetide), and 
(9) gymnocephalus (Chirocentridze). Syst. Nat., ’66, 515-517. 
@Mandibula inferior brevior. Syst. Nat., 66, 516. 
e Lacerta. “Corpus (Testa Alisve) nudum, caudatum”’ contrasting with 
Draco, “Corpus Alis volatile.” Syst. Nat., ’66, 349. 
