Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 55(2) June 1998 111 Theobald, W. 1868. Catalogue of reptiles in the Museum of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. Joiinuil of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. 37(2) (extra number): 1-88. Thompson, G.G. 1992. Daily distance travelled and foraging areas of Varanus gouldii (Reptilia: Varanidae) in an urban environment. Wildlife Research. 19: 743-753. Thompson, G.G. 1994. Activity area during the breeding season of Varanus gouldii (Reptilia: Varanidae) in an urban environment. Wildlife Research. 21: 633-641. Thompson, G.G. 1995. Foraging patterns and behaviours, body postures and movement speed for goannas, Varanus gouldii (Reptilia: Varanidae). in a semi-urban environment. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia. 78: 107-114. Thompson, G.G. 1996a. Notes on the diet of Varanus gouldii in a semi-urban environment. Western Australian Naturalist. 21: 49-54. Thompson, G.G. 1996b. Goannas in the graveyard. Nature Australia. 25(7): 30-37. Thompson, G.G. & Withers, P.C. 1992. Effects of body mass and temperature on standard metabolic rates for two Australian varanid lizards ( Varanus gouldii and Varanus panoptes). Copeia. 1992: 343-350. Thompson, G.G., Withers, P.C. & Thompson, S.A. 1992. The combat ritual of two monitor lizards. Varanus caudolineatus and Varanus gouldii. Western .Australian Naturalist. 19: 21-25. Whittell, H.M. 1954. The literature of Australian birds: a history and a bibliography of Australian ornithology. Paterson Brokensha Pty Ltd., Perth. Comments on the proposed conservation of the specific name of Varanus teriae Sprackland, 1991 (Reptilia, Squamata) (Case 3043; see BZN 54: 100-103, 250-251; 55: 37-39) (1) T. Ziegler and W. Bohme Zoologisches Forschimgsinstitut und Museum Alexander Koenig, Adenmierallee 160. D-53113 Bonn, Germany We should like to argue against the application by Prof Robert Sprackland, Prof Hobart Smith and Dr Peter Strimple, published in BZN 54: 100-103 (June 1997). 1. Wells & Wellington (1985a) described Odatria keithhornei based on the holotype QM (-Queensland Museum) J31566 from Buthen Buthen, Nesbit River. Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, collected by Gregory Czechura in August 1978. They 'diagnosed' their new species only by referring to Czechura's (1980) paper (which had recorded emerald monitors from Australia for the first time): 'A member of the Odatria prasimis complex, believed confined to Cape York Peninsula, Queensland and readily identified by referring to the excellent diagnostic and descriptive data in Czechura (1980). The holotype of Odatria keithhornei is also figured by Czechura ( 1980: Plate 1 )" and concluded with the etymological derivation: 'Named for Mr. Keith Home, herpetologist of Sydney, New South Wales'. 2. In June 1987 the President of the Australian Society of Herpetologists proposed the suppression for nomenclatural purposes (Case 2531, BZN 44: 116-121) of three works by Richard W. Wells and C. Ross Wellington (Wells & Wellington. 1984, 1985a, 1985b) — one of them (Wells & Wellington, 1985a) including the description of Odatria keithhornei. Reasons for the proposed suppression included the facts that Wells & Wellington (1984, 1985a, 1985b) published their concepts in their own journal independent of any expert opinion and, it was stated, largely without any solid taxonomic basis. Several comments concerning this application appeared in the
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