■246 Allen, Megalestris vs. Catkaracta. Va^v 



nomialist. His form of the word was Cataractes^ and it was used 

 for the genus of Guillemots now currently known as Uria. 



It was next employed by Brisson in 1760, as Catarractes, 

 for the ' Gorfou ' {Phaethon demersus Linn.), a Penguin, now 

 known as Catarractes chrysocome ; and this constitutes the only 

 tenable application of the name. In 1764 the same word, in 

 the form Catharacta, was used in a generic sense by Briinnich 

 for the Skuas. He refers in a footnote to the fact that Brisson 

 had previously made use of the name as a generic designation 

 for Phaethofi demur sus Linn. (= Catarractes chrysocome auct., but 

 which should stand as Catarractes demursiis ex Linn.^), but 

 adopts it, notwithstanding, for the Skua Gull because he thinks 

 the name as used by the old authors referred to this bird. It 

 should be noted that he renders Brisson's name, in this connec- 

 tion, with an //, — Catharractes, — further evidence that the two 

 names are simply variants of the same word, the Cataracta of 

 Pliny. The following is a list of some of the variants of it which 

 have been used by different systematic writers : 



Cataracta Retzius, 1800; Bonap., 1838, 1856, etc. 



C«/rt;rrrt!r/rt: PallaSj 181 1 ; Leach, 18 19; Poche, 1904. 



Catharacta Briinnich, 1764. 



Catharractes Briinnich, 1764. 



Cataractes yio^\\xvt\^^ 1752; Fleming, 1819; Gray, 1841. 



Catarractes '2>x\'s>sow, 1760; Gray, 1846; Bryant, 1861. 



Catarhactes Brandt, 1847. 



Catarradhtes Hombr. & Jacq., 1841 ; Ogilvie-Grant, 1898. 



As to the generic name of the Skuas, it cannot be Cataracta, 

 nor Catarracta, nor Cataractes, nor Catharacta, each of which has 

 been used for them, as all are preoccupied by Catarractes Brisson, 

 which also has several variants, for a genus of Penguins ; all are 

 merely variants of an original Cataracta used by Pliny and other 

 early authors for some apparently unidentifiable large oceanic bird. 

 Catharacta Briinnich, were it otherwise tenable, is a synonym 



1 The name demersits appears to have been rejected for this species on 

 account of a previous Diomedea demersa hinn. = S/>/ie/izscus demersus auct. 

 mod. ; but as PhaetJion demerstis Linn, and Diomedea demersa Linn, refer to 

 species belonging to different genera, there is no reason why the specific 

 name demersa is not tenable for both. 



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