CRUSTACEANS FROM THE TROPICAL ATLANTIC. 367 



discussion of the synonymy of the solitary genus by which the femily is at present 

 represented. The change of name should not deter the student from consulting the 

 exceedingly important morphological notes with which Dr. Bovallius has enriched his 

 elaborate account of this family. 



Genus Rhabdosoma, Adams and White, 1847. 



18i7. Rhabdosoma, Adams & White, in White's List of Crustacea in the British Museum, p. 138. 

 1848. „ Adams & White, Zoology of the Voyage of H.M.S. ' Samarang,' p. 63. 



1858. Maci-ocephaluK, Spence Bate, Annals and Magazine of Natural History, ser. 3, vol. i. p. 361. 

 1862. Rhabdosoma, Spence Bate, British Museum Catalogue of Amphipodous Crustacea, p. 344. 



1887. Rhabdonectes, Bovallius, Systematical List of the Amphipoda Hyperiidea, Bihang till Kongl. 



Svenska Vet.-Akad. Handlingar, Bd. xi. no. 16, p. 39. 



1888. Rhabdosoma, Stebbing, 'Challenger' Amphipoda, p. 1606. 



1890. Xiphocephalus, Bovallius, The Oxycephalids, Royal Society of Sciences of Upsala, pp.3, 116, fee. 



For other references the two last-named works may be consulted. Dr. Bovallius 

 assigns the genus, with the name Xiphocephalus and the date 1841, to the well-known 

 zoologist Guorin-Meneville, on the authority of Eydoux and Souleyet \ He quotes 

 the passage in point from those authors, which is to the following effect: — " M. Guerin- 

 Meneville, who has been kind enough to study this species with us, thinks that it will 

 have to be separated from the genus Oxycephale to form a new generic division to 

 which might be given the name of Xypliicephale, which expresses its principal 

 character ; he bases his view on the fact that the true species of Oxycephale have the 

 body shorter, of different shape, and on the fact that they have seven pairs of feet, of 

 which two pairs are didactyle and five ambulatory." 



It will be observed that here the genus is not instituted, but only an opinion given 

 that it will eventually have to be, and the reasons for that opinion are stated. A 

 suitable name for the genus thus foreshadowed is indicated by the French word 

 Xyphicephale. It is, or was, a common custom with French authors to give zoological 

 names both in French and Latin. The Latin form is in this case not added, very likely 

 because the authors intended to leave to Guerin himself the privilege of technically 

 naming the genus, when a proper occasion should present itself. Of this privilege he 

 appears to have never availed himself. The short Latin account of the species under 

 discussion actually calls it " Oxycephalus, corpore perangusto, elongatissimo," &c. 

 Under these circumstances I cannot bring myself to believe that the French form 

 Xyphicephale has any claim to be accepted as an authoritative name, and, since it is 

 a monstrosity in spelling, its rejection should inspire but little regret. Three changes 

 in it have to be made in order to polish it into Xiphocephalus, a name which Guerin- 

 Meneville might have given, but did not. By discarding Xyphicephale we are brought 



' "Voyage autour du monde execute peudant les annees 1836 et 1837 sur la corvette la 'Bonite.'" 

 Zoologie. Tome 1", pp. 267-271, pi. iv, figs. 13-32. Paris (1841 ?). 



3g2 



