Abstract
IN writing certain parts of a book on water-beetles, I find myself frequently desirous of indicating briefly but emphatically that some particular genus I may be mentioning consists of only a single species. If we take a rational or theoretical view of classification rather than an empirical one, it must be admitted that a genus consisting of only one species is almost as great an anomaly as a species that should consist of a single individual; and a special term to indicate the fact would be desirable. Mr. Pascoe has suggested to me that the expression “monotypical genus” meets the want: but I am not satisfied with this, for in the first place it is a phrase, not a word; and in the second place the use of the “typical” interferes with concentration of thought by the introduction of an alien suggestion. I therefore propose to use either the word “autogenus” or the word “monogenus” for the purpose, and on the whole prefer the former. Perhaps some one else may be able to suggest a better term, and I shall be very glad of an expression of opinion on the point.
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SHARP, D. New Biological Term. Nature 22, 364 (1880). https://doi.org/10.1038/022364a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/022364a0
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