472 SOME QUESTIONS OF NOMENCLATURE. 



actual president of the American Association for the Advancement of 

 Science. 1 His long list of generic names proposed in the various 

 departments of zoology embraces many of unusual origin, and almost 

 always well formed, elegant, and euphonious. I can only adduce a few 

 of the ways of naming illustrated by classical examples. 



In ancient Greek there are numerous words ending in -ias, and many 

 substantives with that termination are names of animals given in allu- 

 sion to some special characteristic. 



Acanthias is the designation of a shark, especially distinguished by 

 the development of a spine at the front of each dorsal fin ; the name is 

 derived from anavBa, spine, and the terminal element. 



Acontias is the name of " a quick- darting serpent," and the main com- 

 ponent is axGor, a dart or javelin. 



Anthias is the name of a fish found in the Mediterranean and distin- 

 guished by the brilliancy of its color; evidently it was based on avdos, 

 a flower. The color of the fish may remind one of a showy flower. 2 



Xiphias is the ancient as well as zoological designation of the sword- 

 fish ; it was plainly coined from gi<po;, a sword. 



These four names give some idea of the range of utility of the particle 

 in question; they involve the ideas of defensive armature, offensive 

 armature, ornamentation, and action. 



A number of names have been framed by modern zoologists in con- 

 formity with such models. Such are Stomias (named by the Greek 

 scholar and naturalist, Schneider) and Geratias — types of the families 

 Stomiidw (generally written Stomiatidce) and Geratiidce. Tamias is 

 another name, well known in connection with the chipmunk. 



But there is room for many more of like structure. For example, 

 peculiarities of various parts might be hinted at by such words as Gar ias 

 or Gephalias or Gotidias or Gottias (for animals having some distinctive 

 character in the head), Ghirias (hand or hand-like organ), Gnathias 

 (jaw), Podias (feet), Thoracias (thorax), and many others of analogous 

 import. 



Another termination which might be used advantageously instead 

 of the too-often used -oides is the patronymic suffix -ides. This would 

 be especially useful where genetic relationship is desired to be indi- 

 cated. We have many such models in classical literature, as Alcides, 

 the son of Alcams; Atrides, the son of Atreus; Pelides, the son of 

 Peleus; yEacides, the grandson of iEacus, and the like. 



Another source for help in name-making is in the several intensive 

 Greek particles occurring as prefixes of various names. The chief of 

 these prefixes are agi-, art-, da-, eri-, eu-, and za-. JEJu- has been so very 

 often drafted into use that relief and variety may be found by resort- 

 ing to the others. 



1 Prof. E. D. Cope. 



2 Thoreau calls trout " these bright fluviatile Howers." Maine Woods, 1864, f>4. 



