480 Miscellaneous, 



consists of Archaean gneisses, quartzites, amphibolite- schists, 

 chloritio schists, and pegmatites. It is capped by purple grits, 

 red sandstones, and conglomerates, -which are covered by limestones 

 of Xeocomian, Turonian (?Cenoraanian), and Eocene ages. The 

 Xeocomian limestone, which may be correlated with that of Singeli 

 described by liochcbrunc, occurs at Debar in the Guban ; while 

 a Jurassic limestone, probably of Bathonian date, occurs at 

 Bihendula in the Guban. Fossils collected from these limestones 

 and from raised reefs of Pleistocene age, by ^Ir. and Mrs. Lort 

 Phillips, :Miss Gillct, Mr. G. P. V. Aylmer, Capt. E. T. Marshall, 

 and Mr. F. B. Parkinson, have been examined by the author, who 

 tabulates a list of corals and echinids. One new genus and fourteen 

 new species of corals are described, belonging to the genera 

 Styhphora, Sti/Una, Colitmnastra'a, Prionastra'a, Favia, Metethmos, 

 Cydolites, and Litlinraa, and one new species of Psendodiadema. 

 The evidence of the collections is sufficient to show that a Neocomian 

 limestone occurs both on the summit of the yoraali plateau and on 

 the floor of the Guban, and that some marine limestones of Lower 

 Tertiary age (probably Eocene) also occur on the plateau. It is 

 therefore evident that the foundering of the Aden Gulf is post- 

 Eocene in age. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



A Question of Nomenclature. 



To the Editors of the Aniuds and Matjazlne of Natural History. 



Gentlemen, — I greatly regret to have again to intrude on your 

 space with regard to a question of nomenclature. 



1 learn to my regret that this island is not the only part of 

 Europe that harbours the pious priority-purist ; a German ornitho- 

 logist has, I am informed, proposed to apply the word Ap^is to the 

 Swift ! 



What justification he can find in the numerous tomes that have 

 been written about birds I know not, and do not seek to know, 



I have, however, to submit that Apus, both by law and prescrip- 

 tion, belongs to the freshwater crustacean that has for a century 

 and a half been known by that name : for it was called ixivovi by 

 Frisch in \1^V2 ; this was adopted in 1756 by Schafer, who, on p. 131 

 of his ' Krebsartige Kicfenfiisse,' speaks of Aj^ms pisciformis. I 

 submit that Schiifer's generic name stands on an equality with those 

 of Brisson or Artedi, which are expressly named in the note to 

 law 2 of the British Association rules. 



But I should like to go further. A law or a process which 

 leads to the changing of so well-known a name is an abuse to good 

 sense, and serves to bring our science into disrepute. 



Your faithful Servant, 



April 11, 1J)00. F. Jeffuey Bel-l. 



P.S. — 1 am reminded that Scopoli (lutrod. Hi^^t. Xat. 1777, 

 p. 404) speaks of the genus Apos for Monocular ((pus, Linn., and on 

 p. 483 of Ajms for Jlirundo apus, Line. That after the knowledge 

 of this obvious misprint a priority-purist should continue to insist 

 that the name of the Swift is Apus makes me regret my epithet of 

 pious, and inclines me to one of a very different significance. 



