SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



277 



ZOOLOGICAL NOMENCLATURE. 



"TpHE following is a translation, kindly contri- 

 buted by Miss F. Winstone, of the proposed 

 Rules for Zoological Nomenclature which will be 

 submitted to the International Congress of Zoology, 

 to be held at Cambridge in August next. The 

 draft appeared in the " Bulletin de la Socicie 

 Zoologique de France " (vol. xxii. No. S) : — 



These suggested rules have been drawn up with 

 the object of obtaining, if possible, a final settle- 

 ment of the zoological nomenclature. In view of 

 this, the Third International Congress of Zoology 

 held at Leyden in September, 1S95, nominated an 

 International Commission of five members, who 



re instructed to study and submit a report upon 

 this important question. The Commission con- 

 sisted of Messrs. R. Blanchard (for France), J. V. 

 Carus (for Germany), Jentink (for the Nether- 

 lands). Sclater (for England) and Wardell Stiles 

 (for the United States). They met at Baden- 

 Baden from the 5th to 9th August, 1S97, under 

 the presidency of Professor Carus, when Professor 

 Blanchard was elected reporting secretary. Dr. 

 Jentink excused himself from attendance. 



The rules following were adopted unanimously, 

 with slight exceptions, for submission to this year's 

 Congress. 



as decided that the official version to 

 be presented in the German language should 

 be by Professor Carus ; that for the English 

 language, by Mr. Wardell Stiles ; and that in 

 case of doubt the French text should be used 

 for interpretation. 



Of Zoological Nomenclature. 



Clause 1 — The nomenclature adopted for animals 

 is to be binomial. The names are to be Latin 

 Each animal is to be distinguished by the name of 

 the genus, followed by that of the species. Ex., 



. IX. 



Clause z. — In special cases where it is useful to 

 riguish varieties, the addition of a third name 

 le genus and species is permissible. 

 I hamtshat: 

 3.— It is a mistake to say Corvus hamtsh a 

 In the other case th>: :as. or its abbrevia- 



em the name of the species and the 

 name of the variety i* not necessary When the 

 interposed, the name of the variety 

 ibould agree with it. Ex., Cm ar 



kamlskalica I: the name of the •. aricty 



shook) agree with the name of the genus. Ex., 

 ■■■ 

 Clan: 1 j,. — Hybrids can be named in two ways, 



1. 



but in both cases the name of the male parent is 

 placed first. 



(it) The names of the two parents are joined 

 together by the sign x . In this case the 

 use of the sex signs is not necessary. Ex., 

 Capra hircus 3 x Ovis aries ? and Capra 

 hircus x 0-cis aries are both equally good 

 formulae ; 

 (b) Hybrids can be equally well named by the 

 use of a fraction, of which the numerator 

 represents the male and the denominator the 

 Capra hircus 



female. Ex. 



This second 



Ovis aries 



method is the most useful, as it enables one 



to give the name of the first observer of the 



, , . , , „ Bernicia canadensis _ , . 



hybrid form. Ex., — , Rabe. 



A user cygnoides 



(c) The second kind of formula is preferable 



when one or the other of the parents is itself 



.... „ Tetrao tetrix x Tetrao urogallus. 



a hybrid. Ex., 7 r- r . jp 2 — 



Callus galhnaceus 



One can also write (Tetrao tetrix x Tetrao 



urogallus) x Gallus galliiiaceus. 



(d) When the parents of a hybrid are not known, 

 it takes, provisionally, a simple specific name 

 as if it were a true species, that is to say, not 

 a hybrid ; but the generic name is preceded by 

 the sign x . Ex., x Coregonus doiosus Fatio. 



Of Generic Names. 



Cause 5. — Zoological nomenclature is indepen- 

 dent of botanical nomenclature. Nevertheless, it is 

 convenient to avoid in zoology the generic names 

 already employed in botany. 



Clause 6. — The name of a genus should consist of 

 one word, whether simple or composite. It should 

 be unique, and either Latin or latinized — to be 

 treated as such even if it does not come from the 

 Latin language. 



Clause 7. — Double surnames should have only 

 one of the names composing them used as a 

 generic name. Ex., Selysius, Targionia, Edivardsia, 

 Out liter sia. 



Clause 8. — Clauses 5 and 7 apply also to sub- 

 genera. 



Ok Specific Names. 



Clause 9. — Specific names, if they are substan- 

 tives or adjectives, are univocal. Double vocables 

 are, however, used for specific denominations 

 when they denote a person whose name is double, 

 a comparison with a simple object. 

 Ex , SanitaeCatarinac, Jan-Maycni, cornu-pastoris, 

 cor-anguinum, etc. In this case the two words which 

 make the specific name are always joined together 

 t.y a hyphen. 



