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SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



RECOMMENDATIONS. 

 Of Generic Names. 

 Clause 42. — Generic names can be taken : 



(a) From Greek substantives, for which the rules 

 of Latin transcription shall be strictly followed. 

 Ex., Ancylus, Amphibola, Aplysia, Pompholyx. 



(b) From composite Greek words, the attribute 

 of which shall always be placed before the 

 principal word. Ex., Stenogyra Pleurobranchus, 

 Tylodina, Cyclostomum, Sarcocystis, Pelodytes, 

 Hydrophilus, Rkizobiiis. 



As exceptions can be used words formed in a 

 •similar manner to the word Hippopotamus, that is 

 to say, in which the attribute is after the principal 

 word. Ex., Philydrus, Biorhiza. However, the 

 words thus formed are vicious and should not be 

 imitated. 



(c) From Latin substantives. Ex., Ancilla, 

 Auricula, Cassis, Conns, Dolium, Metula, Oliva. 

 Adjectives (Prasina) and past-participles (Pro- 

 ductus) are not recommended. 



(d) From composite Latin words. Ex., Stiliger, 

 Dolabrifer, Semifusus. 



(e) From the derivatives of Greek and Latin 

 words expressing diminution, comparison, 

 resemblance, possession. Ex., Lingularius 

 Linglulina. Lingulitwpsis, Linguhlla, Lingulepis, 

 Lingidops, all of which are derived from Lingula. 



{/) From mythological names or the names of 



heroes. Ex., Osiris, Venus, Brisinga, Velleda, 



Crimora. These names take a Latin termination 



if they have not it already (Aegirus, Gondulia). 



(g) From names or Christian names in use in 



early ages. Ex., Cleopatra, Belisarius, Melania. 



(/;) From modern surnames, when a termination 



is added which gives them the signification of 



a dedication. 



Surnames belonging to Latin and Germanic 



languages, or even to any language where the 



Latin alphabet is used, keep their own spelling with 



the exception of the diacritic signs with which 



certain letters can be surcharged. All names 



ending with a consonant take the terminations 



ins, ia, ium. Ex., Selysius, Lamarckia, Kolliheria, 



Miilleria, Ibanezia. All names ending with one of 



the vowels, e, i, 0, y, simply take the termination 



us, a, um. Ex., Blainvillea, Wyvillea, Cavolinia, 



Fatioa, Bernaya, Quoya. All names ending in a 



take the termination ia. Ex., Danaia. 



(i) From names of naval ships, which are treated 



in the same way as names of mythology (Vega) 



or as modern surnames. Ex., Blakea, Hiron- 



dcllea, Challengeria. 



(j) From barbarous names, that is to say, taken 



from any language spoken in a country where 



there is no scientific movement. Ex., Vanikoro. 



These can have a Latin termination. Ex., Yetus. 



(k) From names formed by any combination of 



letters whatever. Ex.,Fossarus, Neda, Clanculus. 



(I) From words formed by an anagram. Ex., 

 Verlusia, Linospa. 



The names specified in paragraphs / and i of 

 this article should not enter into the formation of 

 composite words. Generic names such as Eugrini- 

 mia, Buchiceras, Heromorpha, Miibiusispongia are not 

 recommended. 



Clause 43. — Any particles borrowed from the 

 names of men are excluded from generic names, 

 but the articles are incorporated in these names. 

 Ex., Selysius, Blainvillea, Lacazea,Lacepedea,Benedenia, 

 Chiajea. It is scarcely necessary to say that this 

 rule is not applicable in cases where the particle 

 is included in the surname. Ex. : Dumerilia. 



Of Specific Names. 



Clause 44. — The best specific name is a short 

 Latin adjective of an agreeable sound and easy 

 pronunciation. Greek words latinised, however, 

 or barbarous words which are not declinable, can 

 be used. Ex., hipposideros, echinococcus, zigzag. 



Clause 45. — The prefixes sub andpseudo can only 

 be used with adjectives or substantives ; Latin for 

 the first, Greek for the latter. Ex., subterraneus, 

 subviridis,Pseudacanthus,Pseudopliis,Pseudomys. They 

 cannot be used with proper nouns. Denominations 

 sub-Wilsoni or pseudo-Grateloupana are very vicious. 



Clause 46. — The termination elUos, or its Latin 

 form ides, can only be used with a Greek or Latin 

 substantive. It cannot be used with a proper noun. 



Clause 47. — If the specific name requires the use 

 of a geographical name this ought to be put in the 

 genitive case, or as an adjective if it was known to 

 the Romans, or if it was latinised by writers of 

 the Middle Ages. In the adjective form it is 

 always written with a small first letter. Ex., 

 Antillarum, Galliae, lybicus, aegyptiacus, graecus, burdi- 

 galensis, iconensis, petrocoriensis, parisiensis. 



Clause 48. — All geographical names which do 

 not come under the preceding catalogue are made 

 into adjectives, following the rules of Latin deriva- 

 tions, but preserving the exact spelling of the root, 

 if this has not been used in Latin. Ex., neobatavus, 

 islandicus, brasiliensis, canadensis. 



Clause 49. — (This clause refers only to France.) 



Clause 50. — In compliance with Clause 12, and 

 in spite of the diacritical signs with which letters 

 are surcharged, the original spelling should be 

 preserved of proper names borrowed from certain 

 Slav languages (Polish, Croatian, etc.), and in 

 general from all languages in which the Latin alpha- 

 bet is used. Ex., Taenia, Medici, Congeria, Czjzeki. 



Law of Priority. 



Clause 51 — If the root of a geographical name 

 forms, in Latin, two derivative adjectives (Ex., 

 hispanus and hispanicus) they cannot be used 

 concurrently in the same genus. 



Clause 52. — The same holds good for common 

 nouns. Nouns such as fluviorum, fluvialis and 



