° 1914 ] Mathews, Some Binary Generic Names. 87 



that this was a word with a meaning not previously utilised to my 

 knowledge, the actual wording being: "It is clear that Gronow's 

 nomenclature is binary — that is, he names two units or things, 

 genera and species." I clearly showed that this was quite a novel 

 acceptance of the word "binary" and concluded "I therefore sub- 

 mit that the meaning given to the word ' binary ' must be governed 

 by the context, and that in view of Article 26 it can have none other 

 than that used by me, i. e., absolutely equivalent to binomial." 



Without any consideration of my arguments, however, Opinion 

 No. 37 decided that the Brissonian genera w;ere available under the 

 Code. I made my last protest in this matter in the Nov. Zool., 

 Vol. XVIII, pp. 452-5, 1912. At the Monaco Congress in March, 

 1913, the Opinions as a whole were approved by the Congress and 

 consequently now rank equally with the Coded Laws. I therefore 

 now utilise the Brissonian Genera in accordance with my oft-ex- 

 pressed desire for the attainment of uniformity, notwithstanding 

 my personal disapproval of the action of the International Com- 

 mission in concluding that the word binary was intended to admit 

 the genera of non-binomial writers. 



It seems impossible to think that the Commission could not have 

 seen that the consequence would be the further admission of gen- 

 eric names commonly neglected. As far as I was able to judge the 

 whole basis of our present nomenclatural system was binomiality 

 and to undermine this system was a grievous fault. 



In my nomenclatorial researches I examined as many books as 

 possible and I noted some which though not binomial were cer- 

 tainly binar3^ These I ignored but it is no longer possible to do 

 so. In this paper I will show the insecurity of some of our most 

 common generic names through the admission of "binary" authors. 

 I would here note an interesting confirmation of my meaning of the 

 word binary as opposed to that of the International Commission. 

 In the Essais de Zoologie Generale, published as long ago as 1841, 

 Is. Geoffroy Saint Hilaire discussing the Linnean system of no- 

 menclature, wrote p. 112 "La nomenclature binaire, appliquee a la 

 designation de tous les animaux et de toutes les plantes, est, de 

 tons les progres accomplis par Linne, celui dont I'importance a ete 

 le mieux comprise, et celui aussi dont I'invention lui a ete le plus 

 exclusivement attribuee. Ces deux expressions, Nomenclature hi- 



