48-4 Miscellaneous. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



[We liave received from the Secretarj- to the International Commis- 

 sion on Zoological Nomenclature a circular letter giving 39 generic 

 names in Protozoa, Coelenterata, Trematoda, Cestoda, Cirripedia, 

 Tunicata, and Pisces, chiefly Linna^au, which have been proposed 

 for inclusion in the Official List of Zoological Names. Owing to its 

 length we are unable to publish the list in full, but a copy will be 

 sent to any person sufficiently interested on application to the Secre- 

 tary to the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, 

 Smithsonian Institution, United States National Museum, AVash- 

 ingtou, D.C., U.S.A.] 



Notice to the Zoological Profession of a Possible Suspension of the 

 International Rules of Zoological Nomenclature in the Cases of 

 Musca, Linnceus, 1758, and Calliphora, Desvoidy, 1880. 



In accordance with the Uules of the International Zoological 

 Congress, the attention of the zoological profession is invited to the 

 fact that Dr. L. 0. Howard, W. Dwight Pierce, and twenty-one 

 other professional zoologists have requested the International 

 Commission on Zoological Nomenclature to exercise its plenary 

 power in the case of the Linnsean genus IJusca, 1758, and, under 

 suspension of the Pules, to declare 31. domestica as type of this 

 genus, also, under suspension of the Rules, to validate Callijjhora, 

 Desvoidy, 1830, with C. vomitoria as type. 



The request is based on the grounds of practical utility, and an 

 almost unbroken history of consistent u^age since 1758 in the case 

 of Musca, and since 1830 in the case of Calliphora. It is claimed 

 that a strict application of the Rules will produce greater confusion 

 than uniformity. 



According to the premises at present before the Commission, if 

 the Rules are strictly applied, the generic name of Musca would 

 take either M. ccpsar or 3J. vomitoria as type, and the species 

 M. domestica would be cited either in Conostoma, 1801 [?] (tyj)e 

 Ascaris conostoma=laT\a of M. domestica), or in Conosoma, \b0'2 

 (tvpe Ascaris cohoso«ic( = larva of M. domestica), or in Promusca, 

 1915 (type M. domestica), thus resulting in a very regrettable' 

 change in the nomenclature of the species in question as almost 

 universally used in entomological, zoological, medical, epidemio- 

 logical, and veterinary literature. 



The Secretary of the Commission invites any person interested in 

 these cases of nomenclature to communicate his opinion on tlie 

 subject as soon as possible, and not later than May 1, 1918, when 

 the subject will be submitted to the Commission for vote. 



C. W. Stiles, 



Secretary to Commission. 



25th & E. Streets, N.W., 



Washington, D.C. 



