October 29, 1009] 



SCIENCE 



603 



further conclusion that the present distribu- 

 tion of the literal fauna was completed before 

 the Amazon bore its present geographical re- 

 lations. If it were otherwise the vast mass of 

 the river waters would have formed an insur- 

 mountable barrier to the southward extension 

 of marine forms living in shallow water. 



The main body of the paper consists in an 

 anatomical study of two species of Telliys and 

 the new species above referred to. The in- 

 vestigation is carried out in great detail, the 

 most noticeable feature in the genus Tethys 

 being the determination of nerves issuing 

 from the pleural ganglion and anastomosing 

 with pedal nerves in each case, contrary to 

 the results announced by some investigators 

 from studies of Mediterranean species of 

 Tethys. Excellent figures are given of the 

 anatomy, especially of the nervous and ali- 

 mentary tracts, and comparisons instituted 

 with the results of other investigators. On 

 the whole the paper is creditable to the author 

 and to the university under whose auspices it 

 appears, and will prove, we hope, the fore- 

 runner of other contributions to a subject 

 which has hardly received hitherto its proper 

 meed of attention. Wm. H. Dall 



SUMMARIES OF FOUR OP/.V/O.Y.S' (6, 7, cS, 12) 



BY THE INTERyATIONAL COMMISSION 



ON ZOOLOGICAL NOMENCLATURE 



The following summaries of recent opinions 

 by the International Commission on Zoolog- 

 ical Nomenclature are published for the in- 

 formation of persons interested in the points 

 in question. It is expected that the full 

 details of the arguments will be published 

 later in connection with certain other cases 

 now under consideration. These summaries 

 do not give the reservations made by certain 

 commissioners, but these reservations will be 

 presented in the final publication. 



6. Genus A Linnceus, 1758, with two species 

 Ab and Ac. — When a later author divides the 

 genus A, species Ah and Ac, leaving genus A, 

 only species Ah, and genus 0, monotypic, with 

 species Cc : 



The second author is to be construed as 

 having fixed the type of the genus A. [See 

 Article 30.] 



Vote: Aflirmative 14; negative 0; not vot- 

 ing 1. 



7. The interpretation of the expression " n. 

 g., n. sp." under Article SO (a). — The expres- 

 sion " n. g., n. sp." used in publication of a 

 new genus for which no other species is other- 

 wise designated as genotj^pe, is to be accepted 

 as designation under Article 30 (a). 



Vote: Affirmative 9; negative 4; not voting 

 2. [As the vote on this case is not unani- 

 mous, the point in question may possibly come 

 up for consideration at the next meeting of 

 the commission.] 



8. The retention of ii or i in specific patro- 

 nymic names, under Article H (c) and Article 

 19. — Specific patronymics originally published 

 as ending in ii (as schranlcii, ehheshornii) are, 

 according to Article 19, to be retained in their 

 original form, despite the provision of Article 

 14 (c) which provides that they should have 

 been formed with only one i. 



Vote : AiErmative 11 ; negative 2 ; not voting 

 2. [As the vote on this case is not unanimous, 

 the point in question may possibly come up 

 for discussion at the next meeting of the com- 

 mission.] 



12. Stephanoceros fimhriatus (Goldf^iss, 

 1820) vs. S. eichhornii Ehrenherg, 1832. — 

 The generic name Stephanoceros, 1832, is to 

 be used in preference to Coronella, 1820 (pre- 

 occupied, 1768) ; the specific name fimhriatus, 

 1820, takes precedence over eichhornii, 1832, 

 which is admittedly (Ehrenberg, 1832b, 125, 

 and 1838a, 400^01) fimhriatus, 1820, renamed. 

 Ehrenberg was right in rejecting Coronella, 

 1820, but in error in rejecting fimhriatus, 

 1820; no reason is apparent for perpetuating 

 his error. 



Vote: Affirmative 14; negative 0; not vot- 

 ing 1. 



C. W. Stiles, 

 Secretary of Commission 



SPECIAL ARTICLES 

 CARBON DIOXIDE AS A FACTOR IN HEART BEAT 



Carbon dioxide when distributed uniformly 

 in the blood in large quantities exerts a defi- 

 nite injurious efi'ect on the heart. In the 

 normal circulation, however, the right heart 



