1869.3 



235 



the latter is a noun substantive of neuter gender ; as Ort}io- stoma ^ Diplo'doma, 

 Aca/nthosoDia." 



My original objection was meant to include a class of words like Phanerotoma 

 dentatnm, Pentatoma bipuQCtatum, nigricorno, vernalc, Tapinoma erraticum, and 

 so forth. The list could easily be extended, but these examples will suffice. It is 

 plain that Phanerotoma, Pentatoma, &c., cannot be excused upon the ground of 

 their ending with a neuter substantive, and consequently that their adjectives are 

 made neuter at the expense of the ordinaiy rules of gender. 



2. " Is thei'e any reason why a compound noun substantive may not be taken 

 |br the name of a genus, when a simple noun substantive may ? If Harma will 

 do, why not Chalcarma ? If Phasma, why not Neophasma ?" — I see no objection 

 to either word. 



It appears that all zoological names are capable of being referred to one or 

 other of the two following classes. 



A. SUBSTANTIVES, which may be, as to their form, either simple or compound j 

 and as to their meaning, either literal or figurative. Ex. gr. 

 a. Simple or compound substantives taken literally : — 



Ursus Bear. Tragelaphus Goat-deer. 



Cynomyia Dog-fly. Psammosaurus Sand-hzard. 



Haliaetus Sea-eagle. Lampyris Glow-worm. 



h. Simple or compound substantives taken figuratively : — 



Scymnus a whelp. 



Sphaeridium a little ball. 



Mormolyce a hobgoblin. 



Phasma an apparition. 



Neophasma a new Phasraa. 



Harma a chariot . 



Chalcharma a brazen chariot. 



Ctenidium little comb. 



Micrornix little bird. 



Helluo glutton. 



Nautilus sailor. 



Machaon ^ 



Artaxerxes > ...proper names. 

 Feronia J 



B. ADJECTIVES, which express only some attribute of their subject (i. e. the 

 creature designated) and never the whole of the subject, — which if they did, they 

 would cease to be adjectives. Ex. gr. 



Atomogaster Without abdominal incisions. 



Endocephalus Having the head turned inwards. 



Platycephala Broad-headed. 



Lepidoptera Having scaly wings. 



Quadrumana Four-handed. 



Tetratoma Quadripartite. 



Otiorhynchus With an auriculated rostrum. 



HyjKjphloeus Living under bark. 



Haplocnemus Having the tibiae simple. 



Epilachna Coated with down. 



Aphanogmus Indistinctly sulcate. 



Polyphylla With multifoliate (antennae). 



Acanthosoma Having a spiny body. 



Trigonaspis Having a triangular scutellum. 



Chasmatopterus With gaping elytra. 



Lasioptera With hairy wings. 



Liopterum With glabrous wings. 



Uropteryx Having caudated wings. 



