1896.] RULES OF ZOOLOGICAL NOMENCLATURE, 311 
enables us to retain the original (often Linnean) name, for which 
there is in many cases great difficulty in finding a substitute that 
all will agree upon. Moreover, the usage of the same generic and 
specific term in such cases has now met with extensive acceptance 
on the Continent. At the same time it is only right to call 
attention to the formidable changes which the acceptance of the 
tautonymic principle would cause in the names of some of our 
most familiar animals. In order to show this clearly I give a list 
of 25 species of well-known English birds for which we should 
require a change of names if tautonyms are accepted '. 
3. The German Rules (Sect. 7) adopt the 10th edition of the 
‘Systema Nature’ (1758) as the starting-point of Zoological 
Nomenclature, whereas the Stricklandian Code (Sect. 2) adopts 
the 12th (1766). 
The question of the proper edition of Linnzus’s ‘Systema 
Nature’ to be adopted as the starting-point of the binary system of 
Nomenclature appears to be the most difficult of the three principal 
questions now before us to settle satisfactorily, and to involve the 
most serious consequences. It seems to me reasonable, on a prima 
facie view, that Linneus, having been the inventor and founder of 
the binary system of Nomenclature, should be allowed the credit 
and the privilege of completing his own work in the manner he 
thought best. By adopting the twelfth edition of the ‘Systema 
1 List of Names of British Birds affected by the tautonymic principle. 
B. O. U. List. Page Tautonymic names, 
YIU CIMETED, «2.2 20cc-ccnncen=-s0vcers- ll. Sylvia sylvia. 
Regulus cristatus ....cecccsosseeeecen 14, Regulus requlus. 
Fypolais tcterind  sercerecesecserreeees 17. Hypolais hypolais. 
Cinclus melanogaster .....11.000000008 24. Cinelus cinclus. 
Troglodytes parvulus ...se.-+.s00eeeses 29. Troglodytes troglodytes. 
Carduelis Clegans  ....12...sereeeeeeees 47. Carduelis carduelis. 
Serinus hortulanus ..........0.cecceeses 49. Serinus serinus. 
Coccothraustes vulgaris .....0..000006 50. Coccothraustes coccothraustes, 
Pyrrhocorar Graculus......10.c0eee00e- 66. Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax, 
BEPC OSS LPC eternal anes tieege seas asset 68. Pica pica. 
|SITE TED pT ea EO 89. Scops scops. 
TBUBOUGNAVUS sosss-aeccacssecesecnesesse 90. Bubo bubo. 
BUCO VULGOTIS. c0ccce-ca-ccceescoccecees 94. Buteo buteo. 
Tinnunculus alaudarwus.......0..00++- 104. Tinnunculus tinnunculus, 
Pulig“ula cristata.........00s2.0s0cceseee 129. Fuligula fuligula. 
Turtur COMMUMNIS ......0ceeeeeceeeeeee 139. Turtur turtur. 
WET OED CNET lca son -veccssov<cssarsonnses 142. Perdizx perdiz. 
Coturnis COMMUNES: ......0-ceeceeceeeee 143. Coturnix coturniz. 
LA Ggopus MULUS ....cscesereceeeeseesees 144, Lagopus lagopus. 
CIROONLELETE ives nanenanceenneseecracade 145. Tetrao tetrao. 
Porzana MATUttA .......c.ceeeensoeeee 147. Porzana porzana. 
C7EEPALENSTS wavs ocncscsssseneusences2as 149. Crex crea. 
GUS COMMUNIS ...cecce-eeeceseoreeenes 152. Grus grus. 
Cedicnemus scolopax .......1.0se0s000 155. Cdicnemus edicnemus, 
Vanmellus vulgaris ......ccssseeseeesees 161. Vanellus vanellus, 
now in the Library of the Linnean Society, it will be found that the second 
scomber is altered, apparently in Linnzus’s own handwriting, into scombrus 
(see note on this subject, ‘ Ibis,’ 1895, p. 168). Instead of the Scomber-scomber 
principle it would be better to call it the “ tautonymie principle,” and names 
formed upon this principle tautonyms, 
