SYSTEMATIC ZOOLOGY—GILL. 455 
The genus Coluber was intended to embrace all the snakes, except 
those with a rattle or undivided abdominal and caudal scutes,* and 
hence the vipers and copperheads, so very closely related to the rattle- 
snakes, were combined with ordinary snakes instead of with their 
true relations.” 
Many of the genera of Linné, in fact, were very incongruous, and 
the great Swede not infrequently failed to interpret and apply their 
characters in the allocation of species. A few cases furnished by 
common European or American fishes will illustrate what is meant. 
Specimens of the common gunnell or butterfish were received by 
Linné at different times and once referred to his genus Ophidion and 
at another time to the genus Blennius, and the same species stands 
under both names in the last two editions of his “ Systema.” 
The common toadfish of the Americans (Opsanus tau) was placed 
in the genus Gadus (taw) and a nearly related species of the Indian 
Ocean was referred to the genus Cottus (grunniens). 
The common ten-pounder of the American coast served as the type 
and only species of the genus /lops, and also as a second species of 
the genus Argentina, although the characters given were in decided 
discord with those used for the latter genus, and in perfect harmony 
with those employed for the distinction of the former genus. Indeed, 
it might be properly assumed that the ascription of the Argentina 
carolina to Argentina was simply a matter of misplacement of a 
manuscript leaf, and such it may be even now considered, although 
the error is continued in the twelfth edition, having escaped the 
notice of Linné. 
LINNEZAN NOMENCLATURE. 
The code of nomenclature devised by Linné was in many respects 
admirable, but he did not provide sufficiently for the principle of 
priority in nomenclature. He set the example of changing a name 
given by himself or by others, when he thought a better one could be 
substituted; he also felt at liberty to change the intent of a genus. 
A few examples of many cases may illustrate. 
In 1756 the name Salacia was given to the Portuguese man-of-war: 
in 1758 the name olothuria was substituted ; in 1766 the latter name 
was retained, but with a very different diagnosis, and for the 
first time four holothurians in the modern sense of the word were 
introduced. 
In 1756 the names Cenchris and Crotalophorus were used for 
genera, two years later renamed Boa and Crotalus. In 1756 Artedi’s 
4 Coluber. “ Scuta abdominalia; squame caudales” contrasting with “ Cro- 
talus. Seuta abdominalia caudaliaque cum crepitaculo” and ‘ Boa. Seuta 
abdominalia caudaliaque absque crepitaculo.” Syst. Nat., *66, 349. 
DAs an example of Coluber a figure (tab. 3, fig. 2) of a snake with venom 
fangs was given. 
417S80—OS 
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