Bulletin of Zoological Notnendature 71 (6) vulsella Linnaeus, 1758 (as published in the binominal com-bination My a vulsella) (trivial name of the type species of Vulsella Roding, 1798). 12. I should like, if I may, to express the hope that it will be possible for the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature to reach a decision on the present appUcation at a very early date, for the genera the names of which form the subject of this application will certainly appear in the forth-coming Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontologij , which will inevitably be a standard work for many years to come and in which therefore it is particularly desirable that the nomenclature employed should be both correct under the Regies and also in harmony with established usage. SUPPORT FOR MR. JOSHUA L. BAILY'S PROPOSAL THAT THE PLENARY POWERS SHOULD BE USED TO SUPPRESS THE GENERIC NAME " VOLSELLA " SCOPOLI, 1777, FOR THE PURPOSE OF VALIDATING THE GENERIC NAME "MODIOLUS" LAMARCK, 1799 (CLASS PELECYPODA) By L. R. COX, Sc.D., F.R.S. {Department of Geology, British Museum (Natural History), London) (Commission's reference Z.N.(S.)213) (Enclosure to a letter dated 21st March 1951) I strongly support ]\Ir. Joshua L. BaUy's application for the suppression of the generic name Volsella ScopoU, 1777, for the following reasons. 1 . The name has been adopted by only a small handful of authors in com-parison with the many who have employed the name Modiola Lamarck, 1801, or Modiolus Lamarck, 1799, for the genus typified by the well-known living mussel Mytilus modiolus Linneaus, 1758. This is a most important group both for palaeontologists and neontologists and it is desirable that the name by which it has long been known (whether in the form Modiola or the slightly earlier form Modiolus) should be stabilized. • 2. Scopoli referred three species to Volsella when founding the genus, but, of these, Mytilus modiolus Linnaeus was the only nominal species, the other two being cited by the pre-Linnean names " Gula Soricis Lister " and " Mytilus L. Aber Adans." M. modiolus is thus type species of Volsella by monotypy. It is, however, evident that Scopoh based his conception of this species on wrongly determined specimens.
Support for Mr Joshua L. Baily's proposal that the plenary powers should be used to suppress the generic name "Volsella" Scopoli, 1777, for the purpose of validating the generic name "Modiolus" Lamarck, 1799 (class Pelecypoda)
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