Zoological Nomenclature

Abstract

FROM time to time an idea is started that Zoology is breaking down under the weight of its synonymy. With entomologists I have frequently contended that so far from this being the case, there is, on the contrary, an almost marvellous agreement in the generic and specific names used, especially when we consider the extent of the bibliography and the vast number of the species. After reading in NATURE, vol. ix. p. 258, Mr. Wallace's review of Dr. Sharp's pamphlet, I bethought myself of comparing the two best known catalogues of European Coleoptera, viz., Schaum's, published at Berlin, in 1862, and De Marseul's, at Paris, in 1866. Perhaps the results of the examination of the first six families in the two works will suffice. It must be premised that Schaum's is strictly confined to European species, while De Marseul's embraces as well those of the “basin of the Mediterranean in Asia and Africa.” As to the genera, in the Cicindelidæ there are two in each. In the Carabidæ, Schaum has 98 genera and de Marseul 118; of the latter four are not adopted by Schaum and the remainder are extra-European. In the Dytiscidæ Schaum has 15 genera, De Marseul 17. In the Gyrinidæ there are two genera in Schaum, and three in De Marseul, the third being extra-European. Hydrophilidæ not having the same limitation in the two works, I take the Palpicorn families in which that group and the Sphæridiidæ are included. There are 22 genera in each catalogue, but Schaum and De Marseul each ignore a genus adopted by the other, and a third name, Cyllidium, is preferred by the French author to the earlier one of Chætarthria. As to the species, seeing that Schaum has about 1,580 in the families mentioned above, and De Marseul 2,640, it would not be easy to compare them in a definite form; but taking Cicindela, the second genus of the two catalogues, the first having only one species, which is, I conceive, a fair example of the others, if indeed it has not had more than its share of varieties elevated to the rank of species, we find the 26 species in Schaum identical in names with the same species in De Marseul, except two varieties or species, and a synonym given with a? by Schaum, which is the right name according to De Marseul.