329 



NOTES ON THE NAMES OF SOME BRITISH MAEINE MOLLUSCA. 



By Ton Irkdale. 



Eead 11th Jtme, 1915. 



My present tlieme will read somewhat strangely to those conversant 

 with my writings, and an apology seems necessary. In my Antipodean 

 researches I have had continually to refer to British literature and 

 forms. The latest List of British Marine Moilusca appeared in the 

 Journ. Conch., vol. x, p. 9 et seq., January, 1901, and I found it to 

 be unreliable as a guide to present-day conclusions. This List was 

 prepared by a Committee of the Conchological Society of Great 

 Britain and Ireland, and I therefore suggested to the Societj-, through 

 my friend Mr. J. li. le B. Tomlin, tliat it was necessary to prepare 

 a new List, and also that I would offer my services as regard nomen- 

 clattiral details. As far as I can judge the Society was unwilling, 

 but it was intimated that a new List miglit be unofficially published 

 were full reasons for alterations given, and further that I might 

 undertake it myself. I thereupon criticized the List, and noting that 

 the majority of generic names would at sometime or other come under 

 examination in connexion with Antipodean material, I undertook 

 the rectification of the List. Before I liad performed much work, 

 I discovered that the explanation for the reasons of the innumerable 

 necessary changes would occupy much more space than the List itself. 

 As many of the names are of much more than local interest, I take 

 this opportunity of recording a number of alterations, with the 

 reasons, and at the same time would remark that a similar criticism 

 of the shells themselves would probably necessitate as many changes. 



It would appear that in the quotation and proposal of varietal 

 names no scientific value was considered; the most striking example 

 is in Paludedrina, Avhere, under the species stagnalis, Basterot, I note 

 var. octona, Linne; as I consider this genus non-marine, I make no 

 further remark. In the genus Littorina I note under the species 

 rudis, Maton, the var. saxatilis, Jolinston ; but the name saxatilis is 

 the oldest for this kind of shell, being given by Olivi. I observe 

 that this nomination is of quite ordinary occurrence ; nevertheless, 

 it is incorrect, misleading, perjilexing, and invalid. To accurately 

 fix any of the names, a complete synonymy, with dates properly 

 determined, is necessary, and this I am now engaged in compiling. 

 As it will probably take years to gather together all the strands, 

 I consider it necessary, as an aid, to publish imperfect conclusions, 

 and solicit criticism from all interested. 



Genus ^ovALUNA, nom. nov. 



For a genus of Aplacophora, JVeomenia, Tullberg, is in use. This 

 name was proposed in the Bihang. K. Svensk. Vet.-Ak. Handl. 

 Stockh., vol. iii, No. 13, p. 3, October, 1875, for the new species 

 iY. carinata alone. Tullberg gave the derivation as from the Greek 

 for 'new moon', but in 1828 Billberg, in the Synopsis Faunae 



