278 Proposed Reform of Zoological Nomenclature. 
terms, the appropriation of old words is preferable to the formation 
of new ones.’ * 
l, Adjective generic names.—The names of genera are in all 
cases essentially substantive, and hence adjective terms cannot 
be employed for them without doing violence to grammar. The 
generic names Hians, Criniger, Cursorius, Nitidula, &c., are ex- 
amples of this incorrect usage. 
m. Hybrid names.—Compound words, whose component parts 
are taken from two different languages, are great deformities in 
nomenclature, and naturalists should be especially guarded not 
to introduce any more such terms into zoology, which furnishes 
too many examples of them already. We have them compounded 
of Greek and Latin, as Dendrofalco, Gymnocorvus, Monoculus, 
Arborophila flavigaster; Greek and French, as Jacamaralcyon, 
Jacamerops; and Greek and English, as Bullockoides, Gilbert- 
socrinites. 
n. Names closely resembling other names already used.—By 
Rule 10 it was laid down, that when a name is introduced which 
is identical with one previously used, the later one should be 
changed, Some authors have extended the same principle to 
eases where the later name, when correctly written, only ap- 
proaches in form, without wholly coinciding with, the earlier. We 
do not, however, think it advisable to make this law imperative, 
first, because of the vast extent of our nomenclature, which 
renders it highly difficult to find a name which shall not bear 
more or less resemblance in sound to some other; and, secondly, 
because of the impossibility of fixing a limit to the degree of ap- 
proximation beyond which such a Jaw should cease to operate. 
We content ourselves, therefore, with putting forth this pro- 
position merely as a recommendation to naturalists, in selecting 
generic names, to avoid such as too closely approximate words 
already adopted. So with respect to species, the judicious 
naturalist will aim at variety of designation, and will not, for ex- 
ample, call a species viens or virescens in a yenus which already 
possesses a viridis, 
o, Corrupted words.—In the construction of compound Latin 
words, there are certain grammatical rules which have been. 
known and acted on for two thousand years, and which a natu- 
ralist is bound to acquaint himself with before he tries his skill in 
coining zoological terms. One of the chief of these rules is, that 
in compounding words all the radical or essential parts of the 
constituent members must be retained, and no change made ex- 
cept in the variable terminations. But several generic names 
have been lately introduced which run counter to this rule, and 
* Whewell, Phil. Ind. Sc. v. i. p. xvii. 
