255 



NOTE ON THE GENERIC NAME PECTUNCULUS. 

 By Dr. W. H. Dall. 



Eead 24th June, 1912. 



In au excellent review of the Lamarokiun genus Pectunculus in the 

 Journal de ConchylioJocjie for Febrnar\-, 1912 (p. 84), M. Ed. Lamv 

 lias some remarks on tlie synonymy of tliis genus, which seem to call 

 for examination and revision. 



I have elsewhere shown that Ghjcymcris, Da Costa, 1778, is the 

 first name which can be used for Pectunculus, Lamarck, in conformity 

 W'ith the international rules for nomenclature. 



M. Lamy states that " ce terme de Pectunculus a ete employe avec 

 un yaleur generique, in 1770 par G. Huddesford, dans le preface 

 d'line edition posterieure de Lister, puis il a ete repris en 1799, par 

 Lamarck ". 



One would naturally suppose that by ' preface' M. Lamy refers to 

 Huddesford's ' Proefatio ' of a page and a quarter, in which no generic 

 names of any kind are mentioned, but in a letter M. Lamy has kindly 

 informed me that he regarded not only the ' Prsefatio ' but all the 

 inilices as prefatory. 



Two facts may easily be verified by anyone having access to 

 Huddesford's additions to Lister. First, he refers all the Lamarckian 

 Pectunculi to Area in his binomial index. Second, he uses the name 

 Pectunculus in what may be claimed as a generic sense only once in 

 the whole book, nameh' in the index to the anatomical plates, p. 5, 

 tab. decima tertia, figure 1 ; and the species in connexion with which he 

 uses it is Cardium edule, L. Consequently, if P«c^?<?<(;«/««, Huddesford, 

 has any standing in zoological nomenclature at all, it is a synonym of 

 Cardium, Liune, and according to the rules of nomenclature cannot be 

 used for anj- subsequently erected genus. 



Pectimciilus was used by Lister to cover nearly all the rounded 

 and inflated bivalves, and not in particular for the Lamarckian 

 Pectunculi. 



I may add that the sole instance in Avliich in his binomial index 

 Huddesford introduces a name not previously in use bj' Linnaeus is on 

 p. 23, where he identifies Ostrea ephippium, L., with the genus 

 Pedalion, Solander, which, if accepted, would preoccupy the later 

 name Melina of Petzius (in Phillipsson), 1778. 



SurPLElTENTAEY iS^OTE. 



Since writing the preceding remarks I have had another note from 

 !M. Lamy, who acknowledges that his views on the validation of 

 the name Pectunculus, Lister, rest on the situation found on p. 6 of 

 the alpliabeticalh' arranged summary of Lister's classification of the 

 mollusca, printed as Index i of Huddesford's supplement. 



