Jordan and Evcrmann. Fishes of North America. 2653 



1040. MICROSTOMUS,* Gottsche. 

 (SMEAR DABS.) 



Microstomus, GOTTSCHE, ArchivfurNaturgesch. 1835, 150 (latidcns) ; not M icrosto ma, Risso, 



1826. 



Cynicoglossus, BONAPARTE, Fauna Italica, 1837, fasc., xix (cynoglossug, NILSSON, not of L.). 

 Cynoglossa, BONAPARTE, Catalogo Metodico Pesci Europei, 48, 1846 (microcephalus) ; not 



Cynoclossus, HAMILTON, 1822. 

 Brachyprosopon, BLEEKER, Comptes Rendus Acad. Sci. Amsterd., xm, Pleuron., 7, 1862 



(microcephalit*) . 

 Cynicoglossus, JORDAN & GILBERT, Synopsis, 460, 1883 (microcephalus). 



Body elongate, compressed; mouth very small; teeth broad, incisor- 

 like, on blind side only; scales small, all cycloid; vertebrae numerous 

 (48 to 52) ; dorsal rays 90 to 100; anal rays 70 to 85; anal spine obsolete; 

 left side of skull normal, without mucous cavities; ventral fins with 5 

 rays each. Arctic seas. This genus is widely separated from Plcuronectes 



*We here retain the generic name Microstomus, although in accordance with recent 



sage of most ornithologists and ichthyologists, it should be suppressed, as identical 



with Microstoma. The two words are from the same root, and diner only in the termi- 



usage of most ornithologists and ichthyologists, it should be suppressed, as identical 



ith Microstoma. The two words are from the same root, and differ only 

 nation. But is not this difference enough? The code of nomenclature ot the American 



Ornithologists' Union very properly declares that "a name is only a name, and has no 

 necessary meaning," and therefore no necessarily correct spelling, except the spelling 

 selected by the writer from whom it dates its origin. As a result of this, the original 

 spelling of each generic name is (undoubted misprints aside) the orthography to be adopted, 

 regardless of all questions as to the correct etymology of the word. As a necessary 

 sequence, it seems to us that all generic names, not actually preoccupied by names spelled 

 in the same way, should be tenable. There is no other certain boundary line between 

 names tenable and names untenable. "We therefore regard all generic nanies as available 

 unless used in zoology earlier and in exactly the same orthography. Among American 

 genera of fishes we may therefore use the following, notwithstanding their earlier 

 analogies: 



Microstomus for Cynicoglossus notwithstanding the prior Microstoma. 



Heterodontus Cestracion Heterodon. 



Lucania Lucanus. 



Thymallus Choregon Thymalus. 



Nebris Nebria. 



Xiphidion Xiphister Xiphidium. 



Amitra Monomitra Amitrus. 



Scytalina t Scytaliscus Scytalinus. 



Lfigochila ' Quassilabia Lagocheilus. 



Auchenopterus Cremnobates Auchenipteru*. 



Lyopselta Liopsetta. 



Leucos Myloleucua Leucus. 



Pterophryne PteropJirynoideg Pterophrynus. 



Scaphirhynchus Scaphirhynchops Scaphorhynchuf. 



Lepidion Haloporphyrus Lipidia. 



Gramma Grammia. 



Stenotomus Stenotoma. 



If Microstomus be discarded, the next name in order of date is Cynicoglossui. 

 The following is Bonaparte's definition of Cynicoglossus as quoted by Gill (Proc. Ac. 

 Nat. Sci. Phila. 1864, 222) : 



"Secundo e Cynicoglossus nob. che come il PI. cynoglossus L. ha la linea laterale retta, 

 la bocca piccola, i denti come quello di sopra [Platessa] ma la mascelle iguale, con labbra 

 turgide, e 1' ano senza spina. " 



Later, in his Catalogo Metodico del Pesci Europei, Bonaparte changes this name from 

 Cynicoglossus to Cynoglossa, giving the sole species as Cynoglossa microcephala, and quot- 

 ing as its synonym " Pleuronectes cynoglossus, N. Nilss.", showing that his identification 

 of the Linnsean species coincided with that of Nilsson, who at first used the name "Pleu- 

 ronectes cynoglossus" for the present species instead of the species of Glyptocephalus. In 

 Bonaparte's Catalogo, Glyptecephalus, Gottsche, is regarded by Bonaparte as synonymous 

 with Platessa. 



It is thus evident, as Dr. Gill has suggested, that Bonaparte meant to refer to the 

 Pleuronectes microcephalus instead of PI. cynoglossus, he "having followed Nilsson in his 

 erroneous identification" of the latter with the former. In further evidence of this we 

 have the fact that Cynicoglossus microcephalus (kitt) has no anal spine, while such a spine 

 is present in the species of Glyptocephalus. We would be, therefore, justified in the use 

 of Cynicoglossus instead of the later Brachyprosopon, if Microstomus should be regarded 

 as ineligible on account of the prior name Microstoma. (Jordan & Goss.) 



