Vol. XXlll, pp. 165-168 December 29, 1910 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON THE AMPHIBIAN GENERIC NAME ENGYSTOMA UNTENABLE. BY LEONHARD STEJNEGER. The genus Engi/stoma, as now generally understood, embraces a number of American species, among them our well known southern E. carolinense. The term is untenable, however, for this genus. When Fitzinger instituted the genus in 1826 (Neue Classif. Kept., p. 39) he expressly stated (p. 40) that it was based on Linne's Rana gibbosa, that Merrem's Breviceps, of 1820, was also based on the same species, but that he preferred his own genus which he alleges was " gleichzeitig aufgestellt." There is no evidence that he published the name Engystoma before 1826, however. The later name therefore becomes a synonym of Breviceps. That it was so understood by all herpetologists up to 1811 is plain from a perusal of the literature. Cuvier (Regne Anim., 2 ed., II, 1829, p. 112) synonymizes them. So does Wagler (Syst. Amph., 1830, p. 205) who substitutes Si/stoma for both of them. So does Tschudi (Classif. Batr., 1838, p. 86) who accepts Wagler's term. Finally, Fitzinger himself, in 1813 (Syst. Rept., p. 33), abandons Engystoma and accepts Systoma. Wagler, as early as 1828, separated the Eana ■.vails of Schneider monotypically as Microps (preoccupied) and Tschudi, 1838, substituted for it Stenocephalus (which was also preoccupied). It was not until 1811 that the confusion began. In that year Dumeril and Bibron (Erpet. Gen., vol. 8, p. 740) designated Rana ovaiis as the type of Engystoma and in this they were followed by Guenther and later authors, including Boulenger. r,S— Fitoc. Hior,. Sor. Wash., Vol. XXHI, T.HO. (ir,."i)
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