Bulletin of Zoological Nonienclature 187 References Dall, W. H. (1898), Contributions to the Tertiary fauna of Florida, etc. : Trans. Wagner Free Inst. Sci. Philad. 3 (4) : 672-675. Hertlein, L. G. (1933). A new gryphaeoid oyster from the Eocene of California ; Trans. San Diego Soc. nat. Hist. 7 (no. 22) : 277-278. Stenzel, H. B. (1947). Nomenclatural synopsis of supraspecific groups of the family Ostreidae (Pelecypoda, Mollusca) : J. Paleont. 21 (no. 2) : 174-175. Gunter, G. (1950). The generic status of living oysters and the scientific name of the conunon American species : Amer. Midi. Nat. ♦S (no. 2) : 438-449. Supplementary Note on the " Gryphaea " problem By G. GUNTER (University of Texas, Institute of Marine Science, Port Aransas, Texas, U.S.A.) (Letter dated 11th October 1951) As an addendum to the enclosed statement which I have signed I should like to point out that Gryphaea has long been used by practically all paleontologists for a fossil genus of oyster which became extinct several million years ago. Gryphaea arcuata was the type species of the genus as set up by Anton (1839). The supposed validation of Gryphaea angulata as the type species of the living genus by Children cannot be valid because it was a nomen nudum of Lamarck, 1801. If Doctor Ranson's argument is that G. arcuata was confused and could not have been properly designated by Anton, it does nothing to validate angidata, an indubitable nomen nudum, and ii arcuata is thro\vn out as the type sjjeeies, it leaves the whole situation in utter and complete confusion. Concerning the matter of usage, it is only in recent years that ostreologists have come to separate the two common living genera of oysters. Taxonomists in this country and Japan who have been concerned with the question have all recognised that Gryphaea is not the proper name and have all stated that Crassostrea is the proper generic or subgeneric designation. SUPPORT FOR M. GILBERT RANSON'S PROPOSAL RE-LATING TO THE GENERIC NAME "GRYPHAEA" LAMARCK, 1819 (CLASS PELECYPODA) By G. LECOINTRE (Pahat, Maroc) (Commission's reference Z.N.(S.)365) (Letter dated 17th October 1951) • Je tiens k vous dire que je suis entierement d'accord avec M. Gilbert Ranson du Mus^vun de Paris sur le point suivant : Le genre Gryphaea Lamarck, 1819, a comme genotype : Ostrea angidata. Je suis tout k fait d'accord 6galement pour que le " Systeme " de Lamarck de 1801 ne soit plus utilise pour la selection du genre.
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