586 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. IV. No. 95, 



other classic Greek words, but do not belong 

 to the same category as the others, inas- 

 much as they were used in a sense analogous 

 to horse-chestnut, horse-mackerel and horse- 

 radish with us, the word ' horse ' in this 

 connection conveying the idea of strength, 

 coarseness or bigness.) 



In another rule, all words are proscribed 

 as generic names which are not of Latin or 

 Greek origin;* and among the proscribed 

 are such names as Alhula, Blicca, Carassius 

 and many others, which were later used by 

 Linnteus himself as specific names, and 

 which are now used as generic denomina- 

 tions. 



Words with diminutive terminations were 

 barely tolerated, if admitted at all,t and the 

 reason alleged for such treatment was that 

 the cardinal name might belong to another 

 class. Among the examples named were 

 Anguilla, Asellus, Leueiscus, Lingula, Oniscus, 

 and Ophidion, now familiar in connection 

 with some of our best-known genera. One 

 of these — Ophidion—wSiS subsequently used 

 by Linnaeus himself as a generic name. 



All are now tolerated without demur 

 even, and probably by most naturalists 

 never supposed to have been tainted with 

 offense of any kind. For all such words we 

 have also classical examples ; and four 

 have already been named — the Oniscus and 

 Ophidion of the Greeks, adopted by the 

 Romans, and the Anguilla and Asellus of the 

 Latins. 



Generic names, derived from Latin ad- 

 jectives, were also declared to be unworthy 

 of adoption. Aculeatus, Centrine and Cora- 

 cinus were cited as examples of words that 

 should be rejected under this rule. Later 

 writers have repeated the denunciations 

 uttered by Linnaeus and Artedi, and re- 



* ' ' Nomina generica, quse non sunt originis Latinse 

 vel Grsecse, proscribantur. Linn. Fund. 229. ' ' Art. 

 Ph. Ich. § 198. 



t " Nomina generica diminutiva vix toleranda 

 sunt. Lind. Fund. 227." Art. Ph. Ich., S202. 



fused to adopt such words. But hear what 

 Plutatch says of names of men derived from 

 adjectives. 



In his life of Coriolanus, Plutarch, in re- 

 counting the events subsequent to the cap- 

 ture of Corioli, and the refusal of Marcius 

 to accept more than his share of the booty, 

 comes to the proposition of Cominius :f 



' ' Let us, then, give him what it is not in his power 

 to decline, let us pass a vote that he be called Corio- 

 lanus, if his gallant behavior at Corioli has not already 

 bestowed that name upon him." Hence came his 

 third name of Coriolanus, by which it appears that 

 Caius was the proper name; that the second name, 

 Marcius, was that of the family; and that the third 

 Eoman appellative was a peculiar note of distinction, 

 given afterwards on account of some particular act of 

 fortune, or signature, or virtue of him that bore it. 

 Thus among the Greeks additional names were givea 

 to some on account of their achievements, as Soter, 

 the preserver, and Callinicus, the victorious; to others, 

 for something remarkable in their persons, as Physcon, 

 the gore-iellied, and Gripus, the Eagle-nosed ; or for 

 their good qualities, as Euergetes, the benefactor, and 

 Fhiladelphus, the kind brother ; or their good fortune, 

 as Eudsemon, the prosperous, a name given to the second 

 prince of the family of the Batti. Several princes 

 also have had satirical names bestowed upon them : 

 Antigonus (for instance) was called Doson, the mart 

 that ivill give to-morrow; and Ptolemy was styled 

 Lamyras, the buffoon. But appellations of this last 

 sort were used with greater latitude among the 

 Eomans. One of the Metelli was distinguished by 

 the name of Diadematus, because he went a long time 

 with a bandage, which covered an ulcer he had in his- 

 forehead ; and another they called Celer, because with 

 surprising celerity he entertained them with a funeral 

 show of gladiators a few days after his father's death. 

 In our times, too, some of the Eomans receive their 

 names from the circumstances of their birth ; as that 

 of Froculus, if born when their fathers are in a distant 

 country; and that of Posthumus, if born after their 

 father's death ; and when twins come into the world, 

 and one of them dies at the birth, the survivor is 

 called Vopiscus. Names are also appropriated on ac- 

 count of bodily imperfections ; for amongst them we 

 find not only Sylla, the red, and Niger, the black, but 

 even Cacus, the blind, and Claudius, the lame; such 



t "Nomina generica iinprimis Latina pure adjec- 

 tiva, sed substantive usurpata, criticorum more im" 

 probanda sunt. Linn. Fund. 235." Art. Ph. Ich.' 

 §204. 



