X CONSTRUCTION OF SYSTEMATIC NAMES IN PALEONTOLOGY. 



reticulata. Such terms, being mere errors, pure and simple, and involv- 

 ing no disputed or debatable point, may be reduced to accord without 

 difficulty. 



0. Latin and Oreek terminations. — The addition of these termina- 

 tions to old words often requires a previous change in those words the 

 following rules are offered as some assistance to those whose time does 

 not allow the consultation of authorities, scientific and linguistic. It is 

 not always easy for even a classical scholar to determine off'-hand how 

 the Greeks or Romans would have made a word, had it been coined by 

 them while their languages were still living. Much examination and 

 collection of examples is necessary before certainty can be reached, and 

 in a few cases some doubt may then remain. These cases are, however, 

 very few, especiallj^ as the terminations employed in paleontology are 

 not numerous. The following rules will probably suffice to enable any 

 one with an elementary knowledge of the classic tongues to form cor- 

 rectly a new specific term, but nothing can give full immunity from 

 risk of error where some such knowledge is not possessed. 



— alis. This Latin termination, implying resemblance, is seldom 

 used, except in words already compounded in Greek and Latin, and when 

 otherwise, it must be annexed to the stem of the word,' as rectilateralis, 

 quadr Hater alis. 



— anus. This Latin termination implies resemblance or association, 

 and may be added to proper names, personal or local ; though in science 

 its use is almost confined to the former. If the word be capable of tak- 

 ing a classic form, the termination should be simply annexed to the stem 

 as Linnaeus., linnaeanus; Lesquereux, (lescuria) lescurianus; in con- 

 formity with classic usage; pagus, paganus; Claudius^ claudianus; 

 Weapolis, neapolitanus. In other cases, the addition of this termination 

 must follow the same rule as those for ensis, as America., americanus • 

 Geinitz, geinitzanus ; Meek, meekanus ; Erie., erianus ; Italy, (ia) 

 italianus. 



— atus. This Latin termination strictly implies the possession of the 

 thing to the name of which it is added. It is, therefore, affixed to the 

 stem of common names only, as casta, costatus; galea, galeatus; fornix, 

 fornicatus; sinus, sinuatus; stria, striatus, lohus, lohatus; rostrxim 

 rostratus. It is worthy of remark here that this termination sometimes 

 loses its at, to shorten the word. The practice is not commendable from 

 a linguistic standpoint, but some of the terms so made have-become fixed 

 in the nomenclature, as Orthis hiloha. 



— formis. This Latin termination implies resemblance of shape, and 

 should be confined to Latin words, to the stem of which it should be 

 joined by the connecting vowel i, as laterna, later niformis; pistillum, 

 pistilliformis. In forming terms, such as the first given above from 

 Latin words ending in a, the error of using ae as the connecting vowel 

 should be avoided ; being inconsistent with classic usage, as well as more 

 awkward and lengthy, thus we have from terra, terricola; gemma, gem- 

 mifer; squama, squamiger; tula., tuhiformis; etc. 



