18 » VIVIPARA. 
four. This difference was first detected by 
Kiister, who described it as V. lineata, Valen- 
ciennes, a very different species; but the latter 
species being falsely attributed to North 
America, being in fact a synonym of V. Ben- 
galensis, Lam., the name given will stand as 
Kiister’s. Mr. Binney, on the ground of the 
mistake referred to, and because also Jineata is 
not an appropriate name for the species, im- 
poses a new one, V. contectoides ; but it would 
be productive of immense confusion to nomen- 
clature to permit alterations because authors 
fancy that names are inappropriate,—for it is 
not to be denied that on such pretext many of 
the names heretofore proposed would require 
changing ; names of comparison, particularly, 
would need altering. In the names of the 
Vivipare, for example, an almost entire change 
might be effected, for on looking over the list 
of character-names I scarcely find a half-dozen 
that would not have been more characteristic 
of other species than those which bear them. 
After all, as Shakspeare says, “What's in a 
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