194 LEON J. COLE. 



the intestine was empty, the legs often appeared white at the 

 joints (articulations) and transparent between. The distal half 

 of the proboscis is usually the most conspicuous part of the 

 animal, being a tinge or shade of yellow, in some cases so dark 

 as to be almost bufif. Eyes dark reddish brown. 



While this pycnogonid was found plainly to belong to the 

 genus Endeis (Phoxichilus^ of authors), its peculiar occurrence 

 among the gulf -weed, and the fact that the genus had never been 

 reported from American waters, led to the suspicion that it 

 would prove to be specifically distinct from any described form. 

 Comparison, however, with descriptions of Endeis spinosus 

 (Montagu) of the European coast showed so little discrepancy 

 that I have delayed coming to a definite conclusion until I should 

 be able to compare it directly with specimens from that locality. 

 This I have now been enabled to do through the kindness of 

 Prof. G. O. Sars, of Christiania, Norway, and Mr. T. V. Hodgson, 

 of Plymouth, England, who have generously supplied me with 



' The name for this genus has been commonly known and accepted as Phoxi- 

 chilus since 1837 at least. It now appears that the first form described as a Phoxi- 

 chilus in reality belongs to Wilson's genus Pseudopallene. According to the iron- 

 clad " law of priority " therefore, the name Phoxichilus must now be used in place 

 of Pseudopallene for that genus, and hereafter all but specialists on Pycnogonida 

 will find what is to them an almost hopeless confusion of names if they ever have 

 occasion to look up the literature on such a subject, say, as the circulation of the 

 blood in this group, mentioned later in this paper. Stebbing (1902, p. 187) pro- 

 posed the name Chilophoxus to take the place of Phoxichilus for those animals 

 which have been universally known by the latter name. But the evil ball once 

 started rolling could not be stopped here, for Norman (1908, p. 231) has pointed 

 out that undoubtedly the first species described by Philippi (1843) under his genus 

 Endeis " is congeneric at least, if not identical, with P[halangium] spinosum Mon- 

 tagu," which has so long been known as Phoxichilus spinosus, and is the subject 

 of the present note. This being the case (and there would appear to be no doubt 

 of the facts) Endeis of course takes precedence over Phoxichilus, and the name 

 must therefore stand as Endeis spinosus (Montagu). 



When I began systematic work on the Pycnogonida, more than ten years ago, 

 I believed implicitly in the advantages to be gained by following strictly the law 

 of priority; after considerable experience in observing its effects, I am inclined to 

 agree with Thompson (1909, p. 537, footnote) when he remarks with regard to the 

 instance just discussed: " In my opinion this is a case where strict adherence to 

 priority would serve no good end, but would only lead to great and lasting con- 

 fusion." However, after much mental contention, I have decided for the present 

 to be law-abiding, and to live in the hope that before long an agreement may be 

 reached among zoologists permitting the use of common sense in place of forcing 

 blind adherence to a law which, however good its intention, has seemed only to 

 increase the instability and confusion in zoological nomenclature. 



I 



