NO>[ENCT.ATURE. 249 



cluction of synonyms that these form an immense annual c;rop, 

 the extirpation of which occupies most of the time of those 

 engaged in systematic work. 



I give examples of the synonymy of four common European 

 species from Fischer : — 



ScROBicuT,ARiA PiPEKATA, Gmelin, sp. Saxicava AiicTiCA, Liiine, sp. 



Calicinelle, Adanson. M^^a arctica, Linne. 



Mactra piperata, Gmelin. Solen minutus, Linne. 



Mactra Listeri, Gmelin. • Donax rhomboidea, Poli. 



Venus gibbnla, Gmelin. Donax iris, Olivi. 



Trigonella plana. Da Costa. Didontabicarinata, Schumacher. 



M3^a Hispanica, Chemnitz. Biapholus spinosus, Leach. 



Venus borealis, Pennant. Pholobia prsecisa, Brown. 



Mya Gaditana, Gmelin. Rhomboides rugosus,Blainville. 



Scrobicula arenaria, Schu- Hiatella monoperta, Bosc. 



macher. Mya elongata, Brocchi. 

 Mactra compressa, Pulteney. 



Akera bullata, Miiller. Nassa cosTUiiATA, Renieri, sp. 



Bulla akera, Gmelin. Bnccinum costulatum, Renieri. 



Bnlla soluta, Salis. Buccinum Cuvieri, Payrandeau. 



Bulla Norwegica, Bruguiere. Buccinum Perussaci, Payrau- 

 Bulla resiliens, Donovan. dean. 



Bulla fragilis, Lamarck. Planaxis lineolata, Risso. 



Akera flexilis, Brown. Planaxis riparia, Risso. 



Akera Hanleyi, Adams. Buccinum flexnosum, Costa. 



Eucampe Donovani,^ Leach. Buccinum elegans, Costa. 



Bulla elastica, Sandri. Buccinum variabile, Philippi. 



Buccinum tessellatum, Scacchi. 

 Buccinum unifasciatum, Kiener. 



•' The multiplication of synonyms having made it desirable 

 (as we have shown) to place the authority after each name, 

 another source of evil has arisen ; for several naturalists (fancy- 

 ing that the genus-maker^ and not the species-maker ^ should 

 enjoy this privilege) have altered or divided almost every genus, 

 and placed their signatures as authorities for names given half 

 a century or a century before hy Linnseus or Bruguiere. The 

 majority of naturalists have disowned this practice, and agreed 

 to distinguish b}^ the addition of 'sp.' the authorities for those 

 specific names of which the generic appellations have been 

 altered. The type of a genus should be the species which best 

 exhibits the characters of the group, but it is not always easy 

 to follow out this rule : and consequently the first on the list is 

 often put forward as the tjqie." — Woodward. 



Latin was formerly the universal language of learning, and so 

 became for a long period the only recognized language of science ; 

 in many cases descriptions not written in Latin were entii'ely 

 lgnoi'*ed. Habit, and the authority of several s'eientific b&diei? 



