Abstract
LONDON. Zoological Society, December 13.—Mr. G. A. Boulenger, F.R.S., vice-president, in the chair.—E. S. Goodrich: The segmentation of the occipital region of the head in the batrachia Urodela. This paper was based upon the author's studies of the development of the head region of the Axolotl (Amblystoma tigrinum). The. head of the Axolotl contained three segments behind the auditory capsule. Three metaotic somites were developed in these segments, of which the first soon disappeared, and the second and third contributed to the formation of the temporal muscle. To the first segment belonged the glosso-pharyngeal nerve, to the next two the vagus. The occipital condyles were developed between the third and fourth somites. The two hypoglossal roots corresponded to the fourth and fifth metaotic segments, and passed out in front of the first and second vertebræ. In the Amniota all these segments were included in the head. The skull of an amphibian was thus shorter than that of a mammal, yet the condyles were homologous in the two animals. The shifting backwards or forwards of the condyles was brought about, not by the inter- or ex-calation of segments, but by a transposition from one segment to another. The shifting of the condyles was comparable to the transposition of the limbs on the trunk-segments.—Oldfield Thomas: The mammals of the tenth edition of Linnæus: an attempt to fix the types of the genera and the exact bases and localities of the species. It was shown that by the use of tautonymy the types of nearly all the Linnæan genera could be definitely fixed, the conclusions arrived at by this means agreeing in most cases with common usage. The type of Simia, however, would not be S. satyrus, but S. sylyana, and of Dasypus D. novemcinctus instead of D. sexcinctus, the consequences of which changes were pointed out. Pygathrix, as represented by the two species nemaeus and nigripes, was shown to be generically distinct from Presbytis, so that the latter name still remained available for the ordinary Langurs. Changes in specific names, due to a complete examination, were shown to be less numerous than might have been expected, while the stability of mammalian nomenclature was much increased by avoiding the danger of what such an examination might lead to. Type localities, derived from the original authors quoted by Linnæus, were defined for a considerable number of the species.—Dr. W. E. Hoyle: Report of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. A discussion of the report followed on the portion relating to the formation of an official list of most frequently used zoological names. The feeling of the meeting was very strongly in favour of the International Congress giving its authority to the formation of a list of zoological names, the significance of which should not be altered by application of the rules of the international code. It was unanimously agreed to accept the action of the Congress il it would adopt this course.
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Societies and Academis . Nature 85, 295–296 (1910). https://doi.org/10.1038/085295a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/085295a0