Type Specimens of Scorpions and Pedipalps, 85 



*' africanus^'' he believed it to originate from Africa, but 

 certainly not that it really did so. The account of habitat 

 can therefore be used only with the utmost discretion, and 

 even then often with great uncertainty, for the identifi- 

 cation of Linnean species of animals. How uncertain 

 Linna?us himself was is shown very plainly by the fact 

 that, under the name ^^ Scorpio afer" in Syst. Nat. ed. x., 

 he writes " Habitat in India," but in ' Mus. Ludov. Uh-. 

 Beginse ' under tlie same name has " Habitat in Africa," 

 and, again, in Syst. Nat. ed. xii. " Habitat in India," although 

 ' Mus. Lud. Ulr. Reg.' is quoted ! For all these reasons I 

 maintain that the name " afer " (as well as " africanus ") 

 cannot be proved to belong to the common African scorpion. 

 But when we have an unquestionable Linnean type specimen, 

 which is labelled " q^?- " and is described with a diagnosis 

 agreeing with that which, after the establishment of binomen- 

 clature, is given by Linna3us under that same name, I think 

 it cannot be disputed that the species of scorpion which is 

 represented by the said Linnean type specimen must be 

 called 



Scorpio afer^ Linnaeus (p. p.). 



1838. Buthns reticulatus, C. L. Koch. 

 1877. Pa»di?ms indicus (Linn.), Thorell. 

 1894. Scorpio indicus (Linn.), Kraspelin. 

 (For other synonyms see Krsepelin, /. c.) 



It is exceedingly unfortunate that an East- Indian or Javan 

 species should be called " afer^'' but it cannot be helped, and 

 many corresponding instances could be enumerated ; for many 

 specific names involve an erroneous geographical denomination, 

 and many more give the animals a character which they do not, 

 or only exceptionally, possess ; but such names cannot, how- 

 ever, be abolished or altered. The names ^'africanus'^ and 

 " indicus " cannot be given to any species of scorpion with 

 Linneeus as autlior, because it is quite impossible to say where 

 tliey belong. The scorpion that is commonly called " Scorpio 

 africanus, Linn.," thus ought to have its name changed; 

 and if {Buthus) imperator, C. L. Koch, as Krsepelin 

 thinks, is identical, this name is the oldest given, other- 

 wise {Heterometrus) Roeselii, Simon, has precedence. This 

 latter is also the opinion of Pocock*, who, although with a 

 certain hesitation, regards " Scorpio africanus,^^ Linn. (1754, 

 Mus. Ad. Frid. Reg.)^ as identical with an African scorpion 

 described by him (Pocock) under the name " dictator " (I. c. 



* " On Afiican Specimens of the Genus Scorpio," Ann. & Mag. Nat. 

 Hist. ser. 6, vol. ii. pp. 245-255. 



