SOME QUESTIONS OF NOMENCLATURE. 463 



Under this rule such names as Acus, Belone, Citharus, Hippoglossus, 

 Lingula, Novacula, OrMs, Orca, Remora, Solea, and Umbra — all now or 

 sometime in common use — were specified. 



This rule was soon relaxed, and any name not previously used in 

 zoology, or, at most, biology, was considered admissible. 



Another rule sends to Coventry all names composed of two names of 

 different animals, because it might be uncertain to which genus an 

 animal really belongs. 1 The ancient name "Rhino-Batus" is even men- 

 tioned as one of the delicts. 



This rule is also without any justification, and the reason given for it 

 baseless. Compound words of the kind exiled are in entire harmony 

 with the genius of the classic languages. As an illustration of their 

 use among the Greeks, we need refer to one group only — that is, com- 

 pounds with hippos, as Hipp alectr yon, Hippanthropos, Hippardion, Hip 

 pelajihos, Hippocampos, Hippotigris, and Hippoiragelaphos. {Hippohan- 

 tharos, Hippomurmex, Hippopareos and Hipposelinon are other classic 

 Greek words, but do not belong to the same category as the others, 

 inasmuch as they were used in a sense analogous to horse-chestnut, 

 horse-mackerel, and horse-radish with us, the word "horse" in tbis 

 connection conveying the idea of strength, coarseness, and bigness.) 



In another rule, all words are proscribed as generic names which are 

 not of Latin or Greek origin; 2 and among the proscribed are such 

 names as Albula, Blicca, Carassius, and many others, which were later 

 used by Limweus himself as specific names, and which are now used as 

 generic denominations. 



Words with diminutive terminations were barely tolerated, if admitted 

 at all, 3 and the reason alleged for such treatment was that the cardi- 

 nal name might belong to another class. Among the examples named 

 were Anguilla, Asellus, Leuciscus, Lingula, Oniscus, and Ophidion, now 

 familiar in connection with some of our best-known genera. One of 

 these — Ophidion — was subsequently used by Linnaeus himself as a 

 generic name. 



All are now tolerated without demur even, and probably by most 

 naturalists were never supposed to have been tainted with offense of 

 any kind. For all such words we have also classical examples ; and four 

 have already been named — the Oniscus and Ophidion of the Greeks, 

 adopted by the Romans, and the Anguilla and Asellus of the Latins. 



Generic names, derived from Latin adjectives, were also declared to 

 be unworthy of adoption. 4 Aculeatus, Gentrine, and Cor acinus were cited 

 as examples of words that should be rejected under this rule. Later 



'Nomina generica, ex uno nomine generico fracto, et altero integro cornposita, 

 exulent. Linn. Fund. 224.— Art. Ph. Ich., § 196. 



2 "Nomina generica, quse non sunt originis Latinss vel Graecse, proscribantur. Linn. 

 Fund. 229." Art. Ph. Ich., $ 198. 



""Nomina generica diminutiva vix toleranda sunt. Lind. Fund. 227." Art. Ph. 

 Ich., § 202. 



■"'Nomina generica imprimis Latina pure adjectiva, sed substantive usurpata, 

 priticorum more improbanda sunt. Linn. Fund. 235." Art. Ph. Ich., § 204. 



