145 

 NOTE ON THE NAME GLYCYMERIS. 



By WILLIAM HEALEY BALL, A.M., D.Sc. 



(Read before the Society, December 14th, 1904). 



Messrs. Dautzenberg and DoUfus have an interesting discussion on 

 nomenclature in a late number of the current volume of the Journal 

 de Conchyliologie (pp. 109-122), in which they advocate going back 

 for " generic " names to the limit of printed books on natural history. 

 As this question is purely academic, the rule having been settled 

 otherwise for more than a century, it would not call for discussion 

 except of an academic kind. But, in the course of the article, the 

 authors announce that the name Glycymeris was used by Huddesford 

 in his binominal index to the 1770 edition of Lister's " Historia," 

 thus antedating the use of the same name by Da Costa in 1778. If 

 this statement was correct it would have numerous consequences in 

 the present nomenclature of mollusca. It is, therefore, of some im- 

 portance that the facts of the case should be stated with precision, so 

 that unnecessary changes shall not be initiated by persons relying 

 upon this statement and unable to consult a somewhat rare book. 



Huddesford gives two indices in the text which he adds to the im- 

 pression of Lister's engravings. 



The second is entitled "Index alter, conchyliorum classes complec- 

 tens, juxta methodum celeberrimi Caroli a Linnd, et ad Tabulas 

 Listerianas accommodatus," and extends from page 2 (bis) to page 77. 

 It contains the Linnean genera in the order in which they occur in 

 the Systema Naturae, and the specific names under each in similar 

 order, not alphabetical, and on the right hand of these names are 

 references to the plate and figure of Lister when the author could 

 identify Lister's figures with any of the Linnean names. In this index 

 the name Glycymeris does not anywhere occur. 



It may be noted in passing that the word glycymeris means a 

 " succulent morsel " and was applied by early writers to such bivalves 

 as were esteemed especially delicious eating. 



The first index has the following title :— " Index alphabeticus, 

 conchyliorum classes exhibens eo ipso Ordine in quo disponunter a 

 Listero." If we include a short sub-index of the anatomical plates, it 

 extends from page i to 12 inclusive, and contains the names and 

 tabular classifications used by Lister, alphabetically arranged and 

 with references to the number of the copper plate upon which they 

 will be found engraved by the Misses Lister. These frequently refer 

 to ancient works from which some of Lister's figures seem to have 

 been copied, as " Mytulopectunculus berberoides Fab. Col. " etc., and 

 the nomenclature is that of Lister or the cited authors and in no case 



