130 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [Proc. 3D Ser. 



word-makers and from the practice of scientists from Lin- 

 naeus down: e. g. (the instances cited on p. 129); from 

 Linnaeus, Sy sterna Natures, I 12 : Didelphis virginiana, 

 Rhynchops nigra, Ophidion barbatum, etc. The 

 variations on the part of naturalists from this rule are due 

 either to arbitrariness or misunderstanding: e. g. Gnathy- 

 pops rhomaleus, Hypsipops rubicundus, and oth- 

 ers of the sort were made in the supposition that sf was a 

 masculine noun; Hypognathus serenus, in the idea 

 that yvdBos was masculine; so Hybopsis hyostomus, 

 and many more. 



Note. — The theory has been advanced and emphasized 

 that all these compound names are adjectives, with a noun 

 understood. 1 That theory, if rigorously insisted upon; will 

 not leave a single compound noun in the whole Greek lan- 

 guage. It will hold good in the case of some but not of all, 

 by any means. Alvo-Xewv, /u/CjOo-7roX./V77?, Tpa}y\o-Svrr]<;, 

 Kvvoa-ovpa, Trpo-Kvoov, Xeovro-TreraXov, epTr-d/cavda, Aioa-Kovpoi, 

 crTa^vXo-SevSpov, ^apLai-Trtrv;, Trpo-vaos, ^i,cf>o-fid^aipa, 7TITV0- 

 Kajxivt]^ j(7)v-a\wTrrj^ and any number more are just as 

 good nouns as were ever produced, and the same is 

 true of the names of genera, as both scientists and philolo- 



'This theory seems to originate with one Herrmannsen, who is quoted as 

 saying: Vocabula composita Graecae originis, quorum terminalis 

 radix generis neutralis, in a exiens, genitivo -aro? flectitur, 

 nonnisi adjectivo sensu adhibentur. Hinc si neutralia numero 

 plurali obveniunt, ut Adeloderma, Cricostoma [sing, -um, vel 

 -on], terminentur genitivo-orum; sin autem singulari numero, ut 

 Amphidesma, Cyclostoma, feminini erunt generis, et decli- 

 nabimus "Cyclostomae." Documento sint veterum nomina 

 drrrpaxuSep/ia [which is simply neuter plural of the adjective daTpaxodsptjLOs, 

 see H 44 and 55], rpiaTOfios, adsa/jLo?. — Quoted by Dr. Gill, National Acad- 

 emy of Sciences, Vol. VI, Sixth Memoir, p. 129. 



Herrmannsen's rule is all very well, with the exception of the two words 

 nonnisi adjectivo; the falsity of this assumption is abundantly proved by 

 a host of examples, such as dia-dema, genitive diadematis; dia- 

 phragma, genitive, diaphragmatis; epigramma, genitive, epi- 

 grammatis; emblema, genitive, emblematis, etc., etc. See §§ 35-44- 

 The possibility of an adjective formation of the sort assumed by Herrmannsen 

 is recognized in § 44 and more fully explained in 5 55. 



