466  MELVILL: THE PRINCIPLES OF NOMENCLATURE. 
Indeed were it only possible to give a faithful representation of 
each species and variety, the work would suffice for all time. 
Indices will be drawn up of a comprehensive kind ; the whole 
work will be in the German language. We should have thought 
the Latin medium would have been more useful. The work 
will be published in parts, of which we are told the mollusca 
will consist of fifteen, and the completion of so large a scheme 
will in all probability take a quarter of a century. It will be 
possible to obtain each part separately, at an average cost of 
gd. per sheet. I have seen a sample copy of “‘ Das Tierrcich,” 
dealing with the Aediozoa; in print and substance it seems to 
leave hardly anything to be desired. When the name of the 
publishers, R. Friedlaender & Sohn, in Berlin, is mentioned, 
and when it is known they have guaranteed its production so 
far as funds are concerned, it will be seen what an important 
epoch-making venture this will, in all probability, become. All 
naturalists of every country must wish success to so bold and 
arduous a scheme. 
X.—LIST OF LINN/EAN. GENERA OF SHELLS,* 
GIVING DERIVATIONS AND REFERENCES TO ANCIENT GREEK AND 
ROMAN AUTHORS. 
From time immemorial we find certain generic names, in use to-day, in 
vogue then as now, and nearly all of them, so far as we can tell, applied to 
the same series of mollusks. I have ventured to draw up a short catalogue 
of Linnzeus’ genera, which are but fewin number, quoting likewise Purpura 
Lam. and Pectex Lam., which were hardly Linnzan terms, with references 
appended thereto of ancient Greek and Roman writers who have quoted 
them. Naturally, Aristotle and Pliny come most largely into the field, but 
there are other writers besides, whose names are not so familiar to us. 
It is extremely interesting to trace the dawn of the nomenclature of our 
day, and to note, for instance, that Epicharmus of Syracuse, the comedian, 
alluded five hundred years before the birth of Christ to our razor fish and 
sunset shells under the names they still bear, So/ez and Zelina. 
Chiton :-—no allusion.  X/Twv Gr.‘acoat of mail,’‘tunic.? Heb. ‘kethoneth.’ 
Pholas:—used by MHesychius the Lexicographer. poAas <a borer,’ 
Athenzus, 88a (B.C. 210). 
* Lepas, Serpula, and Sabella are here omitted, and Purpura, Pecten, and Limax 
added 
J.C., viii., Oct., 1897. 
