Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 163 PROPOSED USE OF THE PLENARY POWERS TO ENSURE THAT THE SPECIFIC NAME « MISSISSIPIENSIS " DAUDIN, [1801-1802] AS PUBLISHED IN THE COMBINATION " CROCODILUS MISSISSIPI-ENSIS" SHALL BE THE OLDEST AVAILABLE NAME FOR THE NORTH AMERICAN ALLIGATOR (CLASS REPTILIA) (SUPPLEMENT TO, AND, IN PART, CORRECTION OF, A RULING GIVEN IN " OPINION " 92) By FRANCIS HEMMING, C.M.G., C.B.E., Secretary to the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (Commission Reference : Z.N.(S.) 551) Historical Bacltground The purpose of the present application is to seek the approval of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature for the correction in certain particulars of the entry relating to the generic name Alligator Cuvier, 1807 (Class ReptUia) made on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology by a Ruling given in Opinion 92 (1926, Smithson. misc. Coll. 73 (No. 4) : 3-4). The need for action in this matter has been brought to light in the course of the examination, in preparation for the forthcoming pubUcation of the Official List for publication in book-form, of the entries made thereon in the period up to the end of 1936. This examination brought to Ught also the need for the use by the Commission of its Plenary Powers in one respect if the position of the name mississipiensis Daudin for the North American Alligator is to be fully assured. The points at issue are set out in the following paragraphs. 2. The generic name Alligator Cuvier (G.L.C.F.D.), (1807 {Ann. Mus. Hist, nat., Paris 10 : 25) was published as the name for a subgenus of the genus Crocodilus. Cuvier placed in this subgenus four nominal species, of which the first was Crocodilus {Alligator) lucius (: 64), a new nominal species described from "America septentrionaUs ". Cuvier did not designate or indicate a iy^ species for his subgenus Alligator. The first type selection for this genus was made by Stejneger (L.) & Barbour (T.) in 1917 {Check List N. Amer. Amphib. Rept. (ed. 1) : 41), who so selected the nominal species Crocodilus {Alligator) lucius Cuvier. This type selection is currently accepted by all specialists in this group (see paragraph 5 below). Bull. zool. Nomencl. Vol. 12, Part 6. August 1956.
Proposed use of the plenary powers to ensure that the specific name "mississipiensis" Daudin [1801-1802] as published in the combination "Crocodilus mississipiensis" shall be the oldest available name for the North American Alligator (class Reptilia) (Supplement to, and, in part, correction of, a ruling given in "Opinion" 92)
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