THE ANNALS 



AND 



MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



[THIRD SERIES.] 

 No. 118. OCTOBER 1867. 



XXIX. — On the Classification of the Subdivisions of M'Coy's 

 Genus Athyris, as determined by the laws of Zoological Nomen- 

 clature. By E. Billings, Palseontologist of the Geological 

 Survey of Canada*. 

 [Read before the Nat. Hist. Soc, Montreal, March 25, 1867t.] 

 Every naturalist who has studied the palseozoic Brachiopoda is 

 aware that there exists a very great diversity of opinion with re- 

 gard to the classification of the several sections into which the 

 old genus Athyris has been divided. The arrangement which I 

 and some others have adopted is, in substance, the same as that 

 proposed by Mr. Davidson in the first edition of his ' General 

 Introduction/ published in 1853 J. Although this has been 



* From ' SiUimau's American Jomnal,' July 1867. 

 t After the reading of this paper, the subject was discussed by some of 

 the members of the Society. The following is from a short report 

 published in the newspapers at Montreal : — " After the paper was read. 

 Dr. P. P. Carpenter said that he thought that Mr. Billings had clearly 

 established his jioint, and gave an account of the history of a committee 

 appointed by the British Association to make laws to regulate scientific 

 nomenclature, of which committee he was a member. Mr. Whiteaves 

 stated that he was satisfied with the correctness of the view Mr. Billino-s 

 had taken, and made some remarks about scientific nomenclature and 

 upon some structural points in the shells of the genus in question. Prin- 

 cipal Dawson deplored the confusion that has arisen through conflicting 

 views on the question of nomenclature, and, agreeing with Mr. Billings in 

 the conclusion he had come to, said that this communication was valuable 

 inasmuch as it cleared up a question that had hitherto been obscure." 

 X Modified by separating Merista, thus : — 



Genus. Type. 



Athyris, M'Coy, 1844 A. tumida, Dalman. 



Spirigera, D'Orbigny, 1847 S. concentrica, Von Buch. 



Merista, Suess, 1851 M. Herculea, IBarrande. 



The recent classification differs from the above as follows : — 



Meristella, Hall, 1860 A. tumida. 



Athyris or Spirigera S. concentrica. 



Merista M. Herculea. 



According to this, either Athyris or Spirigera must be suppressed, in 

 order to make room for Meristella. 



Ann. ?^ Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 3. Vol.w. 16 



