OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS RENDERED BY THE INTER- NATIONAL COMMISSION ON ZOOLOGICAL NOMENCLATURE Edited by FRANCIS HEMMING, c.m.g, c.b.e. Secretary to the Commission VOLUME 12. Part 5. Pp. 71—190 OPINION 384 Addition to the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology of the names of fifty-two genera of the Order Carnivora (Class Mammaha) including twenty-nine from which have been reported parasites common to Man LONDON : Printed by Order of the International Trust for Zoological Nomenclature and Sold on behalf of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature by the International Trust at its Publications Office 41, Queen's Gate, London, S.W.7 1956 Price Sixty-Seven Shillings and Sixpence {All rights reserved) Issued lOth April, 1956 INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON ZOOLOGICAL NOMENCLATURE COMPOSITION AT THE TIME OF THE ADOPTION OF THE RULING GFV^EN IN OPINION 384 A. The Officers of the Commission Honorary Life President : Dr. Karl Jordan {British Museum {Natural History), Zoological Museum, Tring, Herts, England) President : Professor James Chester Bradley (Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y., U.S.A.) (12th August 1953) Vice-President : Senhor Dr. Afranio do Amaral (Sao Paulo, Brazil) (12th August 1953 Secretary : Mr. Francis Hemming (London, England) (27th July 1948) B. The Members of the Commission (Arranged in order of precedence by reference to date of election or of most recent re-election, as prescribed by the International Congress of Zoology) Professor H. Boschma (Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historic, Leiden, The Netherlands) (1st January 1947) Senor Dr. Angel Cabrera (Eva Peron, F.C.N.G.R., Argentina) (27th July 1948) Mr. Francis Hemming (London, England) (27th July 1948) (Secretary) Dr. Henning Lemche (Universitetets Zoologiske Museum, Copenhagen, Denmark) (27th July 1948) Professor Teiso Esaki (Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan) (17th April 1950) Professor Pierre Bonnet (Universite de Toulouse, France) (9th June 1950) Mr. Norman Denbigh Riley (British Museum (Natural History), London) (9th June 1950) Professor Tadeusz Jaczewski (Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland) (15th June 1950) Professor Robert Mertens (Natur-Museum u. Forschungs-Institut Senckenberg, Frankfurt a.M., Germany) (5th July 1950) Professor Erich Martin Hering (Zoologisches Museum der Humboldt- Universitdt zu Berlin, Germany) (5th July 1950) Senhor Dr. Afranio do Amaral (5". Paulo, Brazil) (12th August 1953) (Vice President) Professor J. R. Dymond (University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada) (12th August 1953) Professor J. Chester Bradley (Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., U.S.A.) (12th August 1953) (President) Professor Harold E. Yokes (Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.) (12th August 1953) Professor Bela Hanko (MezOgazdasdgi Muzeum, Budapest, Hungary) (12th August 1953) Dr. Norman R. Stoll (Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research, New York. N. Y., U.S.A.) (12th August 1953) Mr. P. C. Sylvester-Bradley (Sheffield University, Sheffield, England) (12th August 1953) Dr. L. B. HoLTHUis (Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie, Leiden, The Netherlands) (12th August 1953) Dr. K. H. L. Key (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Canberra, A.C.T., Australia) (15th October 1954) Dr. Alden H. Miller (Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, U.S.A.) (29th October 1954) Doc. Dr. Ferdinand Prantl (Ndrodni Museum v Praze, Prague, Czechoslovakia) (30th October 1954) Professor Dr. Wilhelm Kuhnelt (Zoologisches Institut der Universitdt, Vienna, Austria) (6th November 1954) Professor F. S. Bodenheimer (The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel) (11th November 1954) Professor Ernst Mayr (Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A.) (4th December 1954) Professor Enrico Tortonese (Museo di Storia Naturale " G. Doria," Genova, Italy) (16th December 1954) OPINION 384 ADDITION TO THE "OFFICIAL LIST OF GENERIC NAMES IN ZOOLOGY " OF THE NAMES OF FIFTY- TWO GENERA OF THE ORDER CARMVORA (CLASS MAMMALIA) INCLUDING TWENTY-NINE FROM WHICH HAVE BEEN REPORTED PARASITES COMMON TO MAN RULING : — (1) The under-mentioned names of genera of the Order Carnivora (Class Mammaha) are hereby placed on the Ojficial List of Generic Names in Zoology with the Name Nos. severally specified below : — (i) ^z7wrw^ Cuvier(G.F.), 1825 (gender : mascuHne) (type species, by monotypy : Ailurus fulgens Cuvier (G.F.), 1825) (Name No. 926) ; (ii) Alopex Kaup, 1829 (gender : feminine) (type species, by monotypy : Canis lagopus Lin- naeus, 1758) (Name No. 927) ; (iii) ^w^/o«jxRafinesque, 1832 (gender : mascuHne) (type species, by monotypy : Amblonyx concolor Rafinesque, 1832) (Name No. 928) ; (iv) Arctictis Temminck, [1824] (gender : feminine) (type species, by monotypy : Viverra bin- turong Raffles, 1821) (Name No. 929) ; (v) Arctogalidia Merriam, 1897 (gender : feminine) (type species, by monotypy through Rule (f) in Article 30 : Paradoxurus trivirgatus Gray (J.E.), 1832) (Name No. 930) ; (vi) Atilax Cuvier (G.F.), 1826 (gender : mascuUne) (type species, by original designation : Her- pestes paludinosus Cuvier (G.L.C.F.D.), 1829) (Name No. 931) ; (vii) Bassariscus Coues, 1887 (gender : masculine) (type species, by monotypy through Rule (f) in Article 30 : Bassaris astuta Lichtenstein, [1830]) (Name No. 932) ; MAYl 41956 74 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS (viii) Bdeogale Peters, [1850] (gender : feminine) (type species, by selection by Thomas (M.R.O.) (1882) : Bdeogale crassicauda Peters, 1852) (Name No. 933) ; (ix) Civettictis Pocock, 1915 (gender : feminine) (type species, by monotypy : Viverra civetta Schreber, [1777]) (Name No. 934) ; (x) Cowe^^^w^ Gray (J.E.), 1837 (gender : masculine) (type species, by monotypy : Conepatus humboldtii Gray (J.E.), 1837) (Name No. 935) ; (xi) Crossarchus Cuvier (G.F.), 1825 (gender : mas- culine) (type species, by original designation : Crossarchus obscurus Cuvier (G.F.), 1825) (Name No. 936) ; (xii) Cryptoprocta Bennett, 1833 (gender : feminine) (type species, by original designation : Crypto- procta ferox Bennett, 1833) (Name No. 937) ; (xiii) Cuon Hodgson, 1838 (gender : masculine) (type species, by monotypy : Cuon primaevus Hodgson, 1838) (Name No. 938) ; (xiv) Cynogale Gray (J.E.), [1837] (gender : feminine) (type species, by monotypy : Cynogale ben- nettii Gray (J.E.), [1837]) (Name No. 939) ; (xv) Enhydra Fleming, 1822 (gender : feminine) (type species, by monotypy : Mustela lutris Linnaeus, 1758) (Name No. 940) ; (xvi) Eupleres Doyere, 1835 (gender : feminine) (type species, by monotypy : Eupleres gou- dotii Doyere, 1835) (Name No. 941) ; (xvii) Fennecus Desmarest, 1804 (gender : masculine) (type species, by original designation : Fen- necus arabicus Desmarest, 1804) (Name No. 942); (xviii) Helarctos Horsfield, 1825 (gender : masculine) (type species, by original designation : Helarc- tos euryspilus Horsfield, 1825) (Name No. 943) ; OPINION 384 75 (xix) Helictis Gray (J.E.), 1831 (gender : feminine) (type species, by monotypy : Helictis mos- chata Gray (J.E.), 1831) (Name No. 944) ; (xx) Helogale Gray (J.E.), [1862] (gender : feminine) (type species, by selection by Thomas (M.R.O.) (1882) : Herpes tes parvulus Sundevall, 1846) (Name No. 945) ; (xxi) Herpes tes (emend, of Her per tes) lUiger, 1811 (gender : masculine) (type species, by absolute tautonymy through operation of Rule (f) in Article 30 on the replaced name Ichneumon Lacepede, 1799 : Viverra ichneumon Lin- naeus, 1758) (Name No. 946) ; (xxii) Ichneumia Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (I.), 1837 (gender : feminine) (type species, by selection by Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (I.) (1839) : Herpestes albicaudus Cuvier (G.L.C.F.D.), 1829) (Name No. 947) ; (xxiii) Lycaon Brookes, 1827 (gender : masculine) (type species, by monotypy : Lycaon tricolor Brookes, 1827) (Name No. 948) ; (xxiv) Mellivora Storr, 1780 (gender : feminine) (type species, by selection by Sclater (W.L.) (1900) : Viverra ratel Sparrman, 1777) (Name No. 949); (xxv) Melursus Meyer, 1793 (gender : masculine) (type species, by monotypy : Melursus lybius Meyer, 1793) (Name No. 950) ; (xxvi) Mungos Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (E.) & Cuvier (G.F.), 1795 (gender : masculine) (type species, by selection by Muirhead ([1819]) when emending the name Mungos to Mungo : Viverra mungo Gmelin, 1788) (Name No. 951); (xxvii) My daus Cuvier (G.F.), 1821 (gender : masculine) (type species, by monotypy : Mydaus meliceps Cuvier (G.F.), 1821) (Name No. 952) ; 76 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS (xxviii) Nandinia Gray (J.E.), 1843 (gender : feminine) (type species, by monotypy : Viverra binotata Gray (J.E.), 1830) (Name No. 953) ; (xxix) Otocyon Mliller (J.), 1836 (gender : masculine) (type species, by monotypy : Otocyon caffer Miiller (J.), 1836) (Name No. 954) ; (xxx) Paradoxurus Cuvier (G.F.), 1821 (gender : mas- culine) (type species, by indication under Rule (b) in Article 30 (inclusion of a species bearing the name typus or typicus) : Para- doxurus typus Cuvier (G.F.), 1821) (Name No. 955) ; (xxxi) Poecilogale Thomas (M.R.O.), 1883 (gender : feminine) (type species, by monotypy : Zorilla albinucha Gray (J.E.), 1864) (Name No. 956) ; (xxxii) Poiana Gray (J.E.), [1865] (gender : feminine) (type species, by monotypy : Genetta richard- sonii Thomson (T.R.H.), 1842) (Name No. 957) ; (xxxiii) Proteles Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (I.), 1824 (gender : mascuHne) (type species, by original designation : Proteles lalandii Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1824) (Name No. 958) ; (xxxiv) Pteronura Gray (J.E.), 1837 (gender : feminine) (type species, by monotypy : Pteronura sambachii Gray (J.E.), 1837) (Name No. 959) ; (xxxv) Rhynchogale Thomas (M.R.O.), 1894 (gender : feminine) (type species, by monotypy through Rule (f) in Article 30 : Rhinogale melleri Gray (J.E.), [1865]) (Name No. 960) ; (xxxvi) Spilogale Gray (J.E.), 1865 (gender : feminine) (type species, by monotypy : Mephitis in- terrupta Rafinesque, 1820) (Name No. 961) ; (xxxvii) Suricata Desmarest, 1804 (gender : feminine) (type species, by monotypy : Suricata capensis Desmarest, 1804) (Name No. 962) ; OPINION 384 77 (xxxviii) Taxidea Waterhouse (G.R.), 1839 (gender : feminine) (type species, by monotypy : Ursus labradorius Gmelin, 1788) (Name No. 963) ; (xxxix) Thalarctos Gray (J.E.), 1825 (gender : masculine) (type species, by monotypy : Thalarctos polaris Gray (J.E.), 1825) (Name No. 964) ; (xl) Urocyon Baird, 1857 (gender : masculine) (type species, by selection by Elliot (1901) : Canis virginianus Schreber, [1776]) (Name No. 965); (xli) Viverra Linnaeus, 1758 (gender : feminine) (type species, by selection by Sclater (W.L.) (1900) : Viverra zibethalAmmQus, 1758) (Name No. 966) ; (xlii) Viverricula Hodgson, 1838 (gender : feminine) (type species, by selection by Sclater (W.L.) (1891) : Viverra indica Desmarest, 1804) (Name No. 967) ; (xliii) Vormela Blasius, 1884 (gender : feminine) (type species, by original designation : Mus- tela sarmatica Pallas, 1771) (Name No. 968) ; (xliv) Xenogale Allen, 1919 (gender : feminine) (type species, by original designation : Xenogale microdon Allen, 1919) (Name No. 969) ; (xlv) Speothos Lund, 1839 (gender : masculine) (type species, by monotypy : Speothes paci- vorus Lund, 1839) (Name No. 970) ; (xlvi) Acinonyx Brookes, 1828 (gender : masculine) (type species, by monotypy : Acinonyx venator Brookes, 1828) (Name No. 971). (2) The under-mentioned names of genera of the Order Carnivora are hereby placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology with the endorsements and with the Name Nos. severally specified below : — (i) Galerella Gray (J.E.), [1865] (gender : feminine) (type species, by monotypy : Herpestes 78 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS ochraceus Gray (J.E.), 1849) (for use by those specialists who consider on taxonomic grounds that Galerella Gray is distinct from Herpestes Illiger, 1811) (Name No. 972) ; (ii) Icticyon Lund, 1842 (gender : masculine) (type species, by monotypy, through Rule (f) in Article 30 : Icticyon venaticus Lund, 1842 (for use by those specialists who consider on taxonomic grounds that Icticyon Lund is distinct from the fossil genus Speothos 1839) (Name No. 973) ; (iii) Leucomitra Howell, 1901 (gender : feminine) (type species, by monotypy : Chincha ma- croura Lichtenstein, 1832) (for use by those specialists who consider on taxonomic grounds that Leucomitra Howell, 1901, is distinct from Mephitis Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (E.) & Cuvier (G.F.), 1795) (Name No. 974) ; (iv) Lutreola Wagner, 1841 (gender : feminine) (type species, by absolute tautonymy : Viverra lutreola Linnaeus, 1761) (for use by those specialists who consider on taxonomic grounds that Lutreola Wagner, 1841, is distinct from Mustela Linnaeus, 1758, as currently inter- preted) (Name No. 975) ; (v) Oryctogale Merriam, 1902 (gender : feminine) (type species, by original designation : Mephitis leuconota Lichtenstein, [1832 — 1834]) (for use by those specialists who consider on taxonomic grounds that Oryctogale Merriam, 1902, is distinct from Conepatus Gray (J.E.), 1837) (Name No. 976) ; (vi) Paracynictis Pocock, 1916 (gender : feminine) (type species, by original designation : Cynictis selousi de Winton, 1896) (for use by those specialists who consider on taxonomic grounds that Paracynictis Pocock, 1916, is distinct from Cynictis Ogilby, 1833) (Name No. 977) ; OPINION 384 79 (3) The application for the addition to the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology of the under-mentioned generic names is hereby rejected, the names concerned being currently treated by specialists as being junior subjective synonyms of names placed on that List by the RuUng given in (1) above, in the first case, of the name Acinonyx Brookes, 1828, and, in the second case, of Amblonyx Rafinesque, 1832 : — (i) Cynailurus Wagler, 1830 ; (ii) Micraonyx A\[Qn, \9\9 . (4) No action is needed on the application for the admission to the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology of the under-mentioned generic names, each of which has already been placed on that List by the Rulings given in the Opinions severally specified below : — (i) Gulo Pallas, 1780 (type species : Mustela gulo Linnaeus, 1758) {Opinion 91) ; (ii) Nasua Storr, [1780] (type species : Viverra nasua Linnaeus, 1766) (Opinion 91) ; (iii) Procyon Storr, [1780] (type species : Ursus lotor Linnaeus, 1758) {Opinion 91) ; (iv) Putorius Cuvier (G.L.C.F.D.), 1817 (type species: Mustela putorius Linnaeus, 1758) {Opinion 91) ; (v) Ursus Linnaeus, 1758 (type species : Ursus arctos Linnaeus, 1758) {Opinion IS). (5) The under-mentioned generic names are hereby placed on the Official Index of Rejected and Invalid Generic Names in Zoology with the Name Nos. severally specified below : — (i) Arctogale Gray (J.E.), [1865] (a junior homonym of Arctogale Kaup, 1828) (Name No. 389) ; (ii) Bassaris Lichtenstein, [1830] (a junior homonym of Bassaris Hubner, [1819]) (Name No. 390) ; 80 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS (iii) Cyon Agassiz, 1846 (an Invalid Emendation of Cuon Hodgson, 1838) (Name No. 391) ; (iv) Cynogale Lund, 1842 (a junior homonyn of Cynogale Gray (J.E.), [1837]) (Name No. 392); (v) Herpertes lUiger, 1811 (an Invalid Original Spelling for Herpes tes) (Name No. 393) ; (vi) Ichneumon Lacepede, 1799 (a junior homonym of Ichneumon Linnaeus, 1758) (Name No. 394) ; (vii) Lasiopus Gervais, 1835 (a junior homonym of Lasiopus Schoenherr, 1823) (Name No. 395) ; (viii) Lasiopus Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (L), 1839 (a junior homonym of Lasiopus Schoenherr, 1823, and a junior objective synonym of Ichneumia Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (I.), 1837) (Name No. 396) ; (ix) Mungo Muirhead, 1819 (an Invalid Emendation of Mungos Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (E.) & Cuvier (G.F.), 1795) (Name No. 397) ; (x) Rhinogale Gray (J.E.), [1865] (a junior homonym ofRhinogale Gloger, 1841) (Name No. 398) ; (xi) Taxidia Hodgson, 1847 (an Invalid Emendation of Taxidea Waterhouse, 1839) (Name No. 399); (xii) Thalarctus Agassiz, 1846 (an Invalid Emendation of Thalarctos Gray (J.E.), 1825) (Name No. 400). (6) The under-mentioned names, each of which is the specific name of the type species of a genus, the name of which has been placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology either by Ruling (1) or by Ruling (2) given in the present Opinion, are hereby placed on the OPINION 384 81 Official List of Specific Names in Zoology with the Name Nos. severally specified below : — (i) albicaudus Cuvier (G.L.C.F.D.), 1829, as pub- lished in the combination Herpestes albicaudus (specific name of type species of Ichneumia Geoff'roy Saint-Hilaire (I.), 1837) (Name No. 620) ; (ii) albinucha Gray (J.E.), 1864, as published in the combination Zorilla albinucha (specific name of type species of Poecilogale Thomas (M.R.O.), 1883) (Name No. 621) ; (iii) astuta Lichtenstein, [1830], as published in the combination Bassaris astuta (specific name of type species of Bassariscus Coues, 1887) (Name No. 622) ; (iv) bennettii Gray (J.E.), [1837], as published in the combination Cynogale bennettii (specific name of type species of Cynogale Gray (J.E.), [1837]) (Name No. 623) ; (v) binotata Gray (J.E.), 1830, as published in the combination Viverra binotata (specific name of type species of Nandinia Gray (J.E.), 1843) (Name No. 624) ; (vi) binturong Raffles, 1821, as published in the combination Viverra binturong (specific name of type species of Arctictis Temminck, [1824]) (Name No. 625) ; (vii) civetta Schreber, [1777], as published in the combination Viverra civetta (specific name of type species of Civet tictis Pocock, 1915) (Name No. 626) ; (viii) concolor Rafinesque, 1832, as published in the combination Amblonyx concolor (specific name of type species of Amblonyx Rafinesque, 1832) (Name No. 627) ; (ix) crassicauda Peters, 1852, as pubhshed in the combination Bdeogale crassicauda (specific 82 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS name of type species of Bdeogale Peters, [1850]) (Name No. 628) ; (x) ferox Bennett, 1833, as published in the com- bination Cryptoprocta ferox (specific name of type species of Cryptoprocta Bennett, 1833) (Name No. 629) ; (xi) fulgens Cuvier (G.F.), 1825, as pubhshed in the combination Ailurus fulgens (specific name of type species of Ailurus Cuvier (G.F.), 1825) (Name No. 630) ; (xii) goudotii Doyere, 1835, as pubhshed in the com- bination Eupleres goudotii (specific name of type species of Eupleres Doyere, 1835) (Name No. 631) ; (xiii) humboldtii Gray (J.E.), 1837, as pubhshed in the combination Conepatus humboldtii (specific name of type species of Conepatus Gray (J.E.), 1837) (Name No. 632) ; (xiv) ichneumon Linnaeus, 1758, as published in the combination Viverra ichneumon (specific name of type species of Herpestes (emend, of Herpertes) lUiger, 1811) (Name No. 633) ; (xv) indica Desmarest, 1804, as pubhshed in the combination Viverra indica (specific name of type species of Viverricula Hodgson, 1838) (Name No. 634) ; (xvi) interrupta Rafinesque, 1820, as published in the combination Mephitis interrupta (specific name of type species of Spilogale Gray (J.E.), 1865) (Name No. 635) ; (xvu) lagopus Linnaeus, 1758, as pubhshed in the combination Canis lagopus (specific name of type species of Alopex Kaup, 1829) (Name No. 636); (xviii) leuconota Lichtenstein, [1832 — 1834], as pub- lished in the combination Mephitis leuconota OPINION 384 83 (specific name of type species of Oryctogale Merriam, 1902) (Name No. 637) ; (xix) lutreola Linnaeus, 1761, as published in the combination Viverra lutreola Linnaeus, 1761 (specific name of type species of Lutreola Wagner, 1841) (Name No. 638) ; (xx) lutris Linnaeus, 1758, as published in the combination Mustela lutris (specific name of type species of Enhydra Fleming, 1822) (Name No. 639) ; (xxi) macroura Lichtenstein, 1832, as pubUshed in the combination Chincha macroura (specific name of type species of Leucomitra Howell, 1901) (Name No. 640) ; (xxii) meliceps Cuvier (G.F.), 1821, as pubhshed in the combination Mydaus meliceps (specific name of type species of Mydaus Cuvier (G.F.), 1821) (Name No. 641) ; (xxiii) melleri Gray (J.E.), [1865], as pubUshed in the combination Rhinogale melleri (specific name of type species of Rhynchogale Thomas (M.R.O.), 1894) (Name No. 642) ; (xxiv) microdon Allen, 1919, as published in the combination Xenogale microdon (specific name of type species of Xenogale Allen, 1919) (Name No. 643) ; (xxv) moschata Gray (J.E.), 1831, as published in the combination Helictis moschata (specific name of type species of Helictis Gray (J.E.), 1831) (Name No. 644) ; (xxvi) mungo Gmelin, 1788, as pubhshed in the com- bination Viverra mungo (specific name of type species of Mungos Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (E.) & Cuvier (G.F.), 1795) (Name No. 645); 84 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS (xxvii) obscurus Cuvier (G.F.), 1825, as published in the combination Crossarchus obscurus (specific name of type species of Crossarchus Cuvier (G.F.), 1825) (Name No. 646) ; (xxviii) ochraceus Gray (J.E.), 1849, as published in the combination Herpestes ochraceus (specific name of type species of Galerella Gray (J.E.), [1865]) (Name No. 647) ; (xxix) pacivorus Lund, 1839, as published in the combination Speothos pacivorus (specific name of type species of Speothos Lund, 1839) (Name No. 648) ; (xxx) paludinosus Cuvier (G.L.C.F.D.), 1829, as pub- lished in the combination Herpestes palu- dinosus (specific name of type species of Atilax Cuvier (G.F.), 1826) (Name No. 649) ; (xxxi) parvulus Sundevall, 1846, as published in the combination Herpestes parvulus (specific name of type species of Helogale Gray (J.E.), [1862]) (Name No. 650) ; (xxxii) primaevus Hodgson, 1838, as published in the combination Cuon primaevus (specific name of type species of Cuon Hodgson, 1838) (Name No. 651) ; (xxxiii) richardsonii Thomson (T.R.H.), 1842, as pub- lished in the combination Genetta richardsonii (specific name of type species of Poiana Gray (J.E.), [1865]), (Name No. 652) ; (xxxiv) sambachii Gray (J.E.), 1837, as pubhshed in the combination Pteronura sambachii (specific name of type species of Pteronura Gray (J.E.), 1837) (Name No. 653) ; (xxxv) selousi de Winton, 1896, as published in the combination Cynic tis selousi (specific name of type species of Paracynictis Pocock, 1916) (Name No. 654) ; OPINION 384 85 (xxxvi) trivirgatus Gray (J.E.), 1832, as published in the combination Paradoxurus trivirgatus (specific name of type species of Arctogalidia Merriam, 1897) (Name No. 655) ; (xxxvii) venaticus Lund, 1842, as published in the com- bination Icticyon venaticus (specific name of type species of Icticyon Lund, 1842) (Name No. 656) ; (xxxviii) zibetha Linnaeus, 1758, as published in the combination Viverra zibetha (specific name of type species of Viverra Linnaeus, 1758) (Name No. 657). (7) The under-mentioned specific names, each of which is the name of a nominal species currently identified by specialists with a nominal species having a later avail- able name which is the type species of a genus placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology either by Ruling (1) or by Ruling (2) in the present Opinion, are hereby placed on the Official List of Specific Names in Zoology with the Name Nos. severally specified below : — (i) capensis Schreber, [1776], as pubhshed in the combination Viverra capensis (Name No. 658); (ii) cinereoargenteus Schreber, [1776], as pubhshed in the combination Canis cinereo-argenteus (Name No. 659) ; (iii) cristata Sparrman, 1783, as pubhshed in the combination Viverra cristata (Name No. 660) ; (iv) hermaphroditus Pallas, [1777], as pubhshed in the combination Viverra hermaphroditus (Name No. 661) ; (v) malayanus Raffles, 1821, as pubhshed in the combination Ursus malayanus (Name No. 662); 86 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS (vi) maritimus Linnaeus, 1758, as published in the combination Ursus maritimus (Name No. 663) ; (vii) megalotis Desmarest, 1822, as published in the combination Canis megalotis (Name No. 664); (viii) peregusna Gueldenstaedt, 1770, as pubhshed in the combination Mustela peregusna (Name No. 665) ; (ix) picta Temminck, 1820, as pubhshed in the combination Hyaena picta (Name No. 666) ; (x) suricata Schreber, [1777], as published in the combination Viverra suricata (Name No. 667) ; (xi) taxus Schreber, [1777], as published in the com- bination Ursus taxus (Name No. 668) ; (xii) ur sinus Shaw, 1791, as published in the combina- tion Brady pus ur sinus (Name No. 669) ; (xiii) venatica Griffith, 1821, as published in the com- bination Felis venatica (Name No. 670) ; (xiv) zerda Zimmermann, 1780, as published in the combination Canis zerda (Name No. 671) ; (8) The under-mentioned specific names are hereby placed on the Official List of Specific Names in Zoology with the Name Nos. severally specified below, each of these names being applicable to a nominal species representing a taxon (a) currently treated by specialists as being a subspecies of the same taxon as that represented by a nominal species which is the type species of a genus, the name of which has been placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology by the Ruling given in the present Opinion, and (b) bearing an older name than the nominal species referred to above : — (i) alpinus Pallas, [1811], as published in the com- bination Canis alpinus (Name No. 672) ; OPINION 384 87 (ii) cinerea lUiger, [1815], as published in the com- bination Lutra cinerea (Name No. 673) ; (iii) jubata Schreber, [1776], as published in the combination Felis jubata (Name No. 674) ; (9) The applications for the admission of the under- mentioned generic names to the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology are hereby postponed, pending the further investigation of the issues involved in these cases : — (i) Aonyx Lesson, 1827 ; (ii) Crocuta Kaup, 1828 ; (iii) Cynictis Ogilby, 1833 ; (iv) Hyaena Brisson, 1762 ; (v) Lutra Brisson, 1762 ; (vi) Meles Brisson, 1762 ; (vii) Genetta Oken, 1816 ; (viii) Grison Oken, 1816 ; (ix) Tayra Oken, 1816 ; (x) Ictonyx Kaup, 1835 ; (xi) Lutrogale Gray (J.E.), 1865 ; (xii) Marputius Gray (J.E.), 1837 ; (xiii) Maries Pinel, 1792 ; (xiv) Mustela Linnaeus, 1758 ; (xv) Mephitis Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (E.) & Cuvier (G.F.), 1795 ; (xvi) Potos Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (E.) & Cuvier (G.F.), 1795 ; (xvii) Vulpes Oken, 1816. OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS I.— THE STATEMENT OF THE CASE On 5th February 1934 the late Dr. C. W. Stiles {Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., U.S.A.) submitted to the Inter- national Commission (under cover of Circular Letter C.L.247) a hst of the names of seventy-four genera of the Order Carnivora (Class Mammalia) which he suggested the Commission should consider placing on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology. In the covering Circular Letter Dr. Stiles explained, as Secretary to the Commission, that, after having prepared the foregoing list, he had sent copies of it for comment " to three outstanding authorities in the nomenclature of mammals, namely Commissioner Cabrera, Dr. G. S. Miller and Dr. T. S. Palmer of Washington ". He added that comments had been received from Dr. Cabrera and that these had been incorporated in the Ust now submitted to the Commission^. Dr. Stiles explained also that the list had been compiled from a then unpublished paper containing a catalogue of animal parasites reported from Carnivora and that the numbers assigned to each name in the annexed apphcation were the numbers of the entries allotted in the host list of parasites given in the paper referred to above. The paper in question was published in December 1934 under the title " Key Catalogue of Parasites reported for Carnivora (Cats, Dogs, Bears, etc.) with their possible Pubhc Health Importance " (Stiles (C.W.) & Baker (Clara Edith), 1934, Nat. Inst. Hlth. Bull. 163 : 911—1223). In his earlier correspondence with the specialists mentioned above (though not in C.L.247) Dr. Stiles had explained that out of a total of about 1,700 species of animal parasites recorded from species of Carnivora, over 200 had been reported from Man. Dr. Stiles added : " Accordingly, it becomes important from a standpoint of Pubhc Health to estabhsb as firmly as possible the generic names of the animals which harbour these parasites ". At the conclusion of Circular Letter C.L.247 Dr. Stiles invited each member of the Commission to submit the annexed hst " to some speciahst in mammals in his own country for study and The extracts from the communication received from Dr. Cabrera incorporated by Dr. Stiles in his application are here distinguished by being printed in smaller type. OPINION 384 89 recommendation " and asked that, when these comments had been obtained, they should be forwarded to the Office of the Commis- sion, so that in the hght of the information so furnished he (Dr. Stiles) could prepare a definitive proposal for submission to the Commission for decision. The following is the list submitted to the Commission under cover of Circular Letter C.L.247 : — Names of Genera of Carnivora suggested for admission to the " Official List of Generic Names in Zoology " By C. W. STILES, {Smithsonian Institution, U.S. National Museum, Washington, D.C., U.S.A.) 415. Cynailurus Wagler, 1830, Natiir. Syst. Amphib., 30, mt. jubatus Linn. syn. guttata Schreb. Cabrera : Cynailurus Wagler, 1830, is invalidated by Acinonyx Brookes, Cat. Anat. Zool. Mus., 1828, p. 16, mt. venator Brook., 1828 ^venaticus Smith, 1827 (the Indian cheetah). (See Hollister, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, xxiv, 1911, p. 225 and xxvii, 1914, p. 216). 420. Nandinia Gray, 1843, List Spec. Mamm. Brit. Mus., pp. xx, 54, mt. binotata Gray, 1830. 427. Paradoxurus Cuv., 1821, Hist. nat. Mamm., Livr. 24, Jan., 5, pi. 1, tod. typus so. (1883) hermaphroditus Pall, in Schreb. 1777. Cabrera : Paradoxurus. Its type species by od., typus Cuv., is not = hermaphroditus Pall., but =Viverra nigra Desmarest, Mamm. 1820, p. 208 (not V. nigra. Pal. y Beauv.), =V. bondar Desmarest, 1820, p. 210. Hence, tod. typus Cuv. = bondar Desm. (See Cabrera, Bolet, R. Soc. Esp., pi. 5, xvii, 1917, p. 487, and Robinson and Kloss, Rec. Ind. Mus., xix, 1920, p. 178). 428. Arctictis Temminck, 1824, Prospectus Monogr. Mamm., Paris, Mar., V. 1, p. xxi (nv), mt. binturong Raffles, Sumatra. 430Z>. Cynogale Gray, 1837, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, pt. 4 (46), Feb., 88, mt. tod. bennetti Gray, 1837. 433. Genetta Oken, 1816, Lehrb. Naturg., Zool., 3 Th., 2 Abth., pp. xi, 1010, tat. genetta Linn. ; tsd. (1900) vulgaris so. genetta ; Cuv., 1817, Regne anim., Paris, v. 1, 156, tat. genetta. Cabrera : Genetta. If Oken's names not available, Genetta Cuv., 1817, Regne Anim., I, p. 156. tat. genetta Linn. 435. Civettictis Pocock, 1915, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, v. 1, March 26, 134, mt. civetta Schreb. 90 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS 437. Viverra Linn., 1758a, 43, tsd. (1900 ; 1904 ; 1911) zibetha Linn. 438. Viverricula Hodgson, 1838, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., v. 1- (2), Apr., 152, ? tsd. (date ?) malaccensis syn. indica. 441. Eupleres Doyere, 1835, Bull. Soc. Sci. Nat., France, no. 3, March, 45 ; no. 5, June, 103, mt. tod. goudotii ; Ann. Sci. nat., Paris, 2d ser., v. 4, Nov., 280, mt. tod. goudotii, Madagascar. 444. Cryptoprocta Bennett, 1833, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, v. 1 (4), May 46, mt. tod. ferox. 432a. Poiana Gray, 1864, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 507, 520, mt. richardsoni Gerrard so. (tsd. 1904) poensis Waterhouse, from Fernando Po. Cabrera : Poiana. The name poensis Waterh. has nothing to do with this. Genetta poensis Waterh. is a true Genetta, and not a synonym of Poiana richard- soni as wrongly stated by Palmer. (See Pocock, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1907, 2, p. 1039.) 448. Suricata Desm., 1804, Nouv. Diet. Hist. Nat., ed. 1, 15, tab. 24 (nv), tsd. (1882 ; 1900 ; 1904) tetradactyla Linn. syn. (1904) capensis Desm. syn. (tsd. 1918) suricatta syn. zenik. Cabrera : Suricata. The specific synonym of type is suricatta Schreb., 1776 ; tetradactyla Schreb., 1777 (not Linnaeus, as wrongly said by Palmer) ; zeniii Scopoli, 1786 ; capensis Desmarest, 1804. The genus is mono- typic, type capensis Desm., = suricatta Schreb. (The dates of names from Sherborn.) 448Z>. Bdeogale Peters, 1850, Mitth. Ges. naturf. Fr. Berlin, Nov. 19 (nv) ; 1852 Bericht Verhandl. Konig. Preuss. Akad. Wiss., Berlin, 81 — 82 ; Naturwiss. Reise nach Mossambique, Zool., I, Saugeth., 119—125, pis. 27—28 ; tsd. (1882 ; 1904 ; 1919 ; 1924) crassicauda. 450. Cynictis Ogilby, 1833, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, pt. 1 (4), May 24, 48, mt. steedmanni so. (tsd. 1900 ; 1904 ; 1919) penicillata Cuv. Alia. Arctogalidia Merriam, 1897, Sci., n.s., v. 5 (112), Feb. 19, 302, tod. Paradoxurus trivirgatus Gray, from Moluccas. 448c. Paracynictis Pocock, 1916, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 8, v. 17 (98), Feb., 177 — 179, mt. tod. selousi de Winton, Bulawayo. OPINION 384 91 451(450). Galerella Gray, 1864, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 509, 564, mt. ochracea Gerrard so. tsd. (1882 ; 1904) gracilis Riippell, E. Africa. Cabrera : Galerella. The name gracilis Riipp. has nothing to do with this ; it is not synonym of ocliracea, as said by Palmer. According to Thomas (Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., 10s, II, 1928, p. 408 and Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1929, p. 102) these names are not even congeneric, ocliracea being the type of Galerella and gracilis the tod. of Myonax Thomas, 1928. 454fl(454). Rhynchogale Thomas, 1894, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, pt. 1, June 1, 139, mt. tsd. (1900 ; 1904 ; 1919) melleri, Rhinogale Gray, 1864 (not Gloger, 1841, Mustelidae) renamed. 455(456). Mungos Geoffr. & Cuv., 1795, Mag. Encycl., v. 2, 184, 187, tat. mungos, tsd. (1919 ; 1924) mungo Gmel., of Africa. 456(455). Crossarchus Cuv. in Geoffr. & Cuv., 1825, Hist. nat. Mamm. V. 3 (47), Feb., 5, mt. tod. obscurus Cuv. 458(459). Atilax Cuv. in Geoffr. & Cuv., 1826, Hist. nat. Mamm., v. 3 (54), June, 2, tod. vansire = (tsd. 1882 ; 1900 ; 1904) galera Schreb. = (tsd. 1918 ; 1919 ; 1924) paludinosus Cuv. 460^(4605). Helogale Gray, 1861, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, no. 20, 308, tsd. (1900 ; 1904 ; 1919) 1st sp. parvula Sundevall, from Natal. 462(462a). Ichneumia Geoffr., 1837, Ann. Sci. nat. Paris, ser. 2, Zool., V. 8, Oct., 251 ; 1837, C. r. Acad. Sci., Paris, v. 5(17), post Oct. 23, 580, tsd. (1839 Lasiopus renamed ; 1919) 1st sp. albicauda Cuvier, E. Africa, Senegal. 462fl(462). Xenogale Allen, 1919, J. Mamm., v. 1(1), Nov., 26—27, mt. tod. microdon. 464. Herpestes lUiger, 1811, Prod. Syst. Mamm., 136 (Herpertes), 297 (Herpestes), Ichneumon 1799 = " Mangusta 1804" renamed, ergo tod. also tsd. (1878 ; 1882 ; 1900 ; 1904 ; 1915 ; 1924) 1st sp. ichneumon Linn., of Africa. 466. Proteles Geoffr., 1824, Bui. Sci. Soc. Philom., Paris, Sept., 139, tod. lalandii Geoffr., 1824, from Cape of Good Hope. 92 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS 469. Hyaena Brisson, 1762, Regnum Animale, 168—169, 248, tat. hyaena Linn., from Africa, tsd. (1900) striata. Cabrera : Hyaena. If Brisson's names are to be rejected, Hyaena Briinnich, Zool. Tundam., 1772, p. 34 (I have not seen this book), or Zimmermann, Geogr. Gesch., II, 1780, p. 256. 469J5(469^). Crocotta Kaup. 1829, Ent. Gesch. u. Natiirl. Syst. Europ. Thierwelt, v. 1, 74, 78, tat. crocuta. Cabrera : Crocotta is an unnecessary emended form of Crocuta Kaup., 1828, Oken's Isis, xxi, 11, p. 1145. tat. and mt. crocuta. (See Allen, Bull, Amer. Mus. N. H. xlvii, 1924, p. 214.) 473. Lycaon Brookes in Griffith's Cuvier, 1827, Anim. Kingd., v. 5, 151, mt. Canis tricolor Brookes so. Hyaena picta Temm. 416(411). Cuon Hodgson, 1838, Ann. Nat. Hist., London, v. 1(2), Apr., 152, mt. tod. primaevus Hodgson, from Nepal, so. (1888) dukhunensis Sykes, 1831. Cabrera : Cuon. I cannot see the reason for changing Cuon to Cyon. Of course both forms are now used with the same frequency, but Cuon is the original form and was, I think, in general use for fifty years. According to Article 19, " The original orthography is to be preserved unless an error of transcription is evident ". If by this a wrong transliteration is to be understood, that is not the case here. The Greek " u " is, indeed, generally latinized in " y ", but we have the names Uperanodon and Uperodon in Reptilia, both derived from the Greek and latinized, by the Latin people itself, in mus. I vote, therefore, for Cuon. 477(476). Icticyon Lund, 1843, Oversigt K. danske Vidensk. Selsk. Forhandl., Kjobenhavn, for 1842, no. 6, 80, mt. venaticus Lund, 1842. 480. Otocyon (" Lichtenstein ") Mueller, 1836, Archiv Anat. Phys., Med., 1 (nv), ? mt. caffer Lichtenstein so. (tsd. 1900 ; 1918) megalotis Desm., S. Africa ; Lichtenstein in Wiegmann, 1838, Arch. Naturg., v. 1, 290, mt. megalotis Desm. syns. coffer Licht., lalandii Geoffr. 483. Fennecus Desmarest, 1804, Nouv. Diet. Hist, nat., ed. 1, v. 24, 18 (nv), tsd. (1904) arabicus so. cerdo Gmel. in Linn., Africa. 485. Vulpes Oken, 1816, Lehrb. Naturg., 3 Th. Zool. Abth. 2, 1033, 1034, tat. Canis vulpes Linn. syn. Vulpes vulgaris. Cabrera : Vulpes. If Oken's names are rejected, Vulpes Bowditch, 1821, Anal. Nat. Classif. Mamm., p. 40. tat. Canis vulpes Linn. OPINION 384 93 486. Alopex Kaup, 1829, Entw.-Gesch. Natiirl. Syst. Europ. Thierwelt, V. 1, 189, mt. Canis lagopus Linn. 488. Urocyon Baird, 1857, Mamm. N. Amer., July, pt. 1, 121, 138, 143, tsd. (1901 ; 1904) 1st sp. virginianus Erxl. so. cinereo- argenteus Schreb., from Eastern U.S.A. 494. Aonyx Lesson, 1827, Man. de Mammalogie, Paris, 157, mt. delalandi Lesson, 1827, inunguis Cuv., 1823, renamed so. (tsd. 1900) capensis Schinz., 1821. 495. Micraonyx Allen, 1919, J. Mamm., v. 1 (1) November, 24, tod. leptonyx Horsf., 1823 so. cinerea lUiger, 1815. Cabrera : Micraonyx Allen, 1919 is not valid, it being simply a synonym of Amblonyx Raf., 1832 (see under 498a). The type species of Micraonyx is Lutra cinerea Illig., and the type species of Amblonyx is Lutra concolor Raf., which is a synonym of cinerea. Both generic names being based on the same species (the Indian small-clawed otter) they are synonyms, and the oldest one is to be used. (See Pocock, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1921, p. 543.) 497^. Pteronura Gray, 1837, Charlesworth's Mag. Nat. Hist., n.s., v.l, 580, mt. sambachii Gray, 1837, so. (1897; 1911) brasiliensis Zimm., 1780, Demerara. 498fl. Amblonyx Rafinesque, 1832, Atlantic J., v. 1 (2), Summer (post May), 62, mt. Lutra concolor Raf., 1832 (concolar) syn. (tat.) Lutra amblonyx Raf., 1832, from Assam. 499. Lutra Brisson, 1762, Regnum Animale, 201, 250, tat. lutra Linn., syn (tsd. 1891 ; 1900) vulgaris Erxl. Cabrera : Lutra. If Brisson's name not available, Lutra Briinnich, Zool. Tundam., 1780, p. 34. tat. Mustela lutra Linn. (See Miller, Cat. Mamm. W. Eur., 1912, p. 354). 500. Lutrogale Gray, 1865, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, no. 8, 127, 1st sp. monticola Hodgson, 1855, from Himalaya. Cabrera : Lutrogale. The tsd. is macrodus Gray, 1865, =tarayensis Hodgs., 1839. The genus contained originally two species, monticola and macrodus ; but monticola = nair F. Cuv., which is a true Lutra, and macrodus = tarayensis remains as the only species in the genus. (See Pohle, Arch. Naturg., 1919, and Hinton and Fry, Joum. Bomb. N. H. Soc, xxix, 1923, p. 416.) 94 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS 502. Enhydra Fleming, 1822, Philos. ZooL, v. 2, 187, " Sea Otter ", probably tsd. (1904) Lutra marina Steller, from coasts of North Pacific ; tsd. (1924) Mustela lutris Linn. 506. Helictis Gray, 1831, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, pt. 1 (8), post June 28, 94, mt. (only definite species) moschata Gray (tsd. 1904). 510. Vormela Blasius, 1884, Bericht naturforsch. Gesellsch. Bamberg, V. 13, 9 — 10, 14, mt. tod. sarmatica Pallas so. (tsd. 1912) peregusna Gueldenstaedt. 511 — 515. Mustela Linn., 1758«, 45, tat. erminea Linn, (quotes Mustela vulgaris Gesner), etd. (1901) martes Linn., etd. (1901) lutra Linn. 514. Lutreola Wagner, 1841, Schreber's Saugthiere, Suppl., v. 2, 239, tat. lutreola Linn. 515. Putorius Cuvier, 1817, Regne Anim., v. 1, 147, tat. Mustela putorius Linn. 521. Martes Pinel, 1792, Actes Soc. d'Hist. Nat., Paris, v. 1(1), 55, mt. domestica Pinel so. foina, Erxl. — Fishers, Martens. 523. Gulo Pallas, 1780, Spicil. Zool., BeroHni, Fasc. 14, 25 ; Storr, 1780, Prodr. Meth. Mamm., 34, tab. A, tsd. (1901) Ursus luscus Linn., tsd. (1924) Gulo sibiricus Pallas so. tat. (1924) Ursus gulo Linn. (tsd. 1901 ; 1904 ; 1912).— Wolverine, Vielfrass. 525. Tayra Oken, 1816, Lehrb. Naturg., Zool., Th. 3, Abt. 2, pp. xi, 1001, tsd. (1904 ; 1911 ; 1924) Mustela barbara Linn. Tayra. Cabrera : Tayra. If Oken's name not accepted this genus should become Eira H. Smith, Jard. Nat. Libr., xxxv, 1842, p. 202 ; originally with three species : barbara, hylia and ferruginea, but from the text it appears that barbara is the true basis of the genus, the two others being somewhat doubtfully referred to it. 528. Meles Brisson, 1762, Regnum Anim., 183, 249, tat. meles Linn. True badgers, Blaireau, Dachs. Cabrera : Meles. If rejected as of Brisson, we have Meles Storr, Prodr. Meth. Mamm., 1780, p. 34. tat. Ursus meles Linn. 533. Mydaus Cuvier in Geoffr. & Cuv., 1821, Hist. Nat. Mamm., v. 2(27), April 2, mt. meliceps. Stinkdachs, Telagon, Teledu. OPINION 384 95 538. Mellivora Storr, 1780, Prodr. Meth. Mamm., 34, tab. A, tsd. (1900; 1904; 1924) ratel Sparrman so. (1924) capensis Schreb. Ratels, Honey-badgers. 540. Ictonyx Kaup, 1835, Thierreich, v. 1, 352, mt. capensis Kaup so. (tsd. 1904) zorilla Erxl., tsd. (1900) striata. African striped- zorillas, striped zorilles, striped muishond, Bandiltiss, Kral- leniltisse, Zorillen. 541. Poecilogale Thomas, 1883, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., 5th ser., V. 11, 370, mt. albinucha Gray, 1864. 544. Taxidea Waterhouse, 1838, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, pt. 6 (71), 154, mt. labradoria Gmel. in Linn., 1788 so. (tsd. 1912 ; 1924) taxus Schreb., 1777. American badgers. 547. Grison Oken, 1816, Lehrb. Naturg., Zool., Th. 3, Abt. 2, pp. xi, 1000, mt. Viverra vittata Schreb. Orisons. Cabrera : Grison. If Oken's name rejected, the first available name seems to be Galictis Bell, Zool. Journ., II, 1826, p. 551, mt. vittata Schreb. 550. Conepatus Gray, 1837, Charlesworth's Mag. Nat. Hist., v. 1, n.s., 581, mt. hwnboldtii Gray, conepatl Gmel. (tsd. 1904) renamed — Bare nosed skunks of Mexico and S. America, South American skunks, White-backed skunks. Cabrera : Conepatus. The specific name conepatl Gmel. has nothing to do here, being not a synonym of humboldtii, which is the type of the genus ; humboldtii is a Patagonian species, whereas conepatl is utterly undeter- minable, but surely from Mexico or Central America. 550^. Oryctogale Merriam, 1902, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., v. 15, Aug. 6, 161 — 162, tod. Conepatus leuconotus Licht., from Vera Cruz, Mex. 5505. Marputius Gray, 1837, Charlesworth's Mag. Nat. Hist., v. 1, n.s., 581, mt. Mephitis chilensis GeoflFr. 552. Mephitis Geoffr. & Cuv., 1795, Mag. Encycl., v. 2, 187 (for mouffette), tsd. (1901) " Les Moufettes " (cf. mephitis), tsd. (1904 ; 1912 ; 1924) mephitis Schreb. True skunks, moufette, Stinkhier. 5525. Leucomitra Howell, 1901, North Amer. Fauna, No. 20, Aug. 31, 20, 39, mt. tod. Chincha macroura Licht., from mountains north-west of City of Mexico. Hooded skunks. 96 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS 553. Spilogale Gray, 1865, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, No. 8, 150, mt. interrupta Raf., 1820. Little spotted skunk, little striped skunk. 561. Procyon Storr, 1780, Prodr. Meth. Mamm., 35—36, tab. A, tsd. (1891 ; 1904 ; 1912 ; 1915 ; 1924) Ursus lotor Linn., Raccoons, raton, raton laveur, Waschbar. 563. Nasua Storr, 1780, Prodr. Meth. Mamm., 35, tab. A, tat. nasua Linn. Coatis, Coati-Mudis, Cuati. 566. Bassariscus Coues, 1887, Sci., v. 9 (225), May 27, 516, tod. (Art. 30/Internat. Comm. Nomen.) Bassaris astuta Licht., {Bassaris Licht., 1831, renamed). 568. Potos Geoffr. & Cuv., 1795, Mag. Encycl., v. 2, 187 (for Kinkajou) tsd. (1904 ; 1924) Viverra caudivolvula Schreb. Kinkajous, Wickelbar. Cabrera : Potos. The specific name of genotype caudivohulus Schreb., 1777 is invalidated by flay us Schreb., 1774, this name being used by all the modern authors. But I wonder if the true name must not be simiasciurus. Schreber, in fact, published in his " Heft 6 ", 1774, a figure of the animal, based on the " yellow maucaues " of Pennant, with the name Lemur simiasciurus, and in " Heft 9 ", the same year, gave the corresponding description, without any Latin name, but only the German " Der Maki mit dem Wickelschwanze ". Now, in this " Heft 9 " he gave also an index to the plates in Vol. I, and the animal was called there Lemur flavus. Afterwards (I do not know the exact date), no doubt to make the plate in accord with the index, he gave another plate with the same number (xlii), to be substituted for the older one, and in it the name is again Lemur flavus. Unfortunately, the new figure, a copy of Petiver's " Gazophylaeium ", does not represent a kinkajou at all, but a true lemur, very likely L. mongoz. Complete sets of Schreber's " Saugthiere " are very rare, and in many of them the oldest plate with the name simiasciurus is wanting. It is no doubt by this that the authors use the name flavus. I should like to know other mammalogist's opinion about that. 570. Ailurus Cuv. in Geoflfr. & Cuv., 1825, Hist. nat. Mamm., June, V. 3 (50), 3, mt.fulgens Geoffr. & Cuv. Panda. 573. Helarctos Horsfield, 1825, Zool. J., v. 2(6), July, 221—234, tod. euryspilus Horsfield, from Borneo. 574. Melursus Meyer, 1793, Zool Entdeck., Leipzig, 155 — 160, mt. lybius Meyer so. Bradypus ursinus Shaw renamed. Sloth bears, Baerdachs, OPINION 384 97 575. Thalarctos Gray, 1825, Ann. Phil., n.s., v. 10, July, 62, mt. polaris Gray so. maritima Phipps. Polar bears, Polargebiet. Cabrera : Thalarctos. I think the type species maritimus {= polaris Gray) dates from Linnaeus, 1758. It is generally given as of Phipps, 1774, or of Erxleben, 1777, overlooking the fact that the name appeared for the first time in the tenth edition of Syst. Nat., p. 47, at the end of text on Ursus arctos. The name is there accompanied by a definition (albus, major, arcticus) and a bibhographical reference (Martens Spitzb. 73, t.o.f.c), and with the observation : f " forte distincta species est, nobis non visa ". It appears from this that Linnaeus doubted if the Polar bear was a true species or merely a variety of the European brown -bear ; but, at all events he designated it with the name Ursus maritimus, the specific name printed in the same type as all the other specific names in the book, and he gave with it a definition and a reference. No more is necessary, in my opinion, to recognize a name as valid. 576, Ursus Linn., 1758a, 47, tat. arctos Linn. syn. ursus Gesner. Ordinary bears, black bears, brown bears, grizzly bears, Bar. II.— THE SUBSEQUENT HISTORY OF THE CASE 2. Response in the period 1934/35 to the appeal for advice addressed to specialists through Circular Letter 247 : In June 1934 Dr. Stiles submitted to the Commission a Circular Letter (C.L. 260) in which he reported that in response to the appeal made in Circular Letter C.L.247 he had received reports on his proposal for the admission to the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology of the names of genera in the Order Carnivora from two sources : (1) from Professor E. Bourdelle {Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris) through Commissioner Jacques Pellegrin of the same Institution ; (2) from Dr. De Beaux {Museo di Storia naturale, Genova) through Commissioner F. Silvestri {R. Laboratio di Entomologia Agraria, R. Instituto Superior e Agrario in Portici, Italy). Copies of the letters and reports so received were annexed by Dr. Stiles to Circular Letter C.L.260. 3. Issue of a Call for a Vote in September 1934 : In September 1934 Dr. Stiles issued a further Circular Letter (C.L.261) to the members of the Commission in regard to the present case, in which he called for "a formal vote on the names of Carnivora 98 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS mentioned in Circular Letters 247 and 260 ". In the Voting Paper issued with the foregoing Circular Letter the names as regards which a vote on the question of admission to the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology was then asked for were indicated through the citation of the numbers severally affixed thereto in the original proposal by Dr. Stiles when submitted with the earlier of the Circular Letters referred to above. 4. Report in March 1935 on the response to the Call for a Vote issued with Circular Letter C.L.261 : In March 1935 Dr. Stiles reported to the Commission in Circular Letter 285 that up to that date only four Members of the Commission had completed and returned the Voting Paper issued with Circular Letter C.L.261, namely : (1) Professor Karl Apstein {Berlin) ; (2) Dr. Karl Jordan {Tring, England), by whom had been forwarded a number of comments from mammalogists in the United Kingdom ; (3) Dr. James L. Peters {Cambridge, Mass., U.S.A.) ; (4) Professor F. Silvestri {Portici, Italy). Particulars of the comments forwarded by Dr. Jordan and details of the votes cast by the foregoing Commissioners were included in the above Circular Letter. 5. Addition of the present application in March 1935 to the Agenda for the Session then about to be held by the Commission at Lisbon : In March 1935 Dr. Stiles issued to the Members of the Commission a Circular Letter (C.L.309) in which he enumerated the cases then outstanding which he suggested should be dealt with by the Commission when it met at Lisbon in September of that year. The present application was included in the Agenda so submitted. 6. Procedural decisions taken by the Commission at Lisbon in September 1935 : When the Commission assembled at Lisbon in September 1935, Dr. Stiles was absent on account of ill health and the documents relating to the present case were not available. It was impossible therefore for the Commission to take a sub- stantive decision on the issues involved. It considered, however, that a stage had been reached at which the future procedure to be followed in this matter could be appropriately laid down. OPINION 384 99 This question was considered at a Meeting of the Commission held on Tuesday, 17th September 1935 (Lisbon Session, 4th Meeting, Conclusion 16). The interim decision then taken is set out in the following extract from the Official Record of the Proceedings of the Commission at the above Session (1943, Bull. zool. Nomencl. 1 : 41) : — THE COMMISSION :— (a) took note : — (i) that various comments on the list had been received from the specialists consulted ; (ii) that these comments were in the hands of the Secretary by whom the list would be corrected where necessary ; (b) agreed to leave it to the Secretary to determine which names should be deleted from the list in the light of the comments received and authorised him to proceed with the issue of an Opinion placing on the Official List of Generic Names such of those generic names as remained in the list that had been circulated, after it had been checked in the manner indicated in (a)(ii) above. 7. Registration of the present application : The papers relating to the present application were transferred in 1938 to the custody of Mr. Francis Hemming consequent upon his election as Secretary to the Commission in succession to Dr. Stiles. Upon the receipt of these papers the application submitted by Dr. Stiles was allotted the Registered Number Z.N.(S.) 97. 8. Investigations undertaken by Mr. Henuning in the period 1944-1947 : The outbreak of war in Europe in September 1939 led to the evacuation of the records of the Commission to the country as an insurance against the risk of their being destroyed in air raids and it was not until the summer of 1942 that it was possible to re-open the Commission's Secretariat in London. The first task following the resumption of work in 1942 was to establish the Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature as a means for bringing to the attention of zoologists appUcations submitted to the Commission for decision and to prepare all new appUcations then outstanding for publication in that serial. As soon as this 100 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS task had been completed, the documents relating to the present case were examined by Mr. Hemming, to whom, as the successor to Dr. Stiles, then fell the duty of carrying out the investigation decided upon by the Commission at its Lisbon Session (paragraph 6 above.) As a result of a preliminary survey, Mr. Hemming formed the conclusion that, contrary to what had been thought at Lisbon, it would not be sufficient merely to collate the comments which had been received in the present case as a preUminary to the preparation of an Opinion placing on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology those of the generic names included in Dr. Stiles' application (paragraph 1 above) to which no exception had been taken. Mr. Hemming took this view partly because his preUminary survey brought to light difficult problems in connection with certain names in Dr. Stiles' list to which till then no objection had been received from any source and partly because the requirements in the matter of the citation of bib- liographical references for names when placed on the Official List decided upon by the Commission at its Lisbon Session would clearly involve the further investigation of each of the names included in Dr. Stiles' application. This investigation, which involved both extensive bibliographical searches and also con- sultation with leading mammalogists resident in countries between which and the United Kingdom postal communications at that time were still open, covered the period 1944 — 1947. At the close of that period Mr. Hemming had completed the draft of the Report which he had been invited to prepare. In that document he had included recommendations for the admission to the Official List of forty-three of the seventy-four names included in Dr. Stiles' appUcation, had recommended the rejection of the proposals relating to two of those names, and had taken note that five of the names concerned had already been placed on the Official List. In the case of eighteen of the names included in Dr. Stiles' application, special issues were found to be involved, including in some cases the use of the Commission's Plenary Powers if serious disturbance in current nomenclatorial practice was to be avoided. In each of these cases the draft Report contained proposals based upon the advice received from the mammalogists consulted. As regards the remaining six names each had been found to be an available name but in each case some specialists regarded the name in question as a junior subjective synonym of some other name, while other specialists OPINION 384 101 regarded the name in question as representing a taxonomically valid genus or subgenus. As regards this latter group of names Mr. Hemming at that time formulated no recommendations, being of the opinion that it was desirable first to obtain the directions of the Commission as to the action to be taken in such cases. 9. Effect on the present application of certain procedural decisions taken by the Thirteenth International Congress of Zoology, Paris, 1948 : The present appUcation was not considered by the International Commission at its Session held in Paris in 1948. It was, however, materially affected by certain of the procedural decisions then taken by the Thirteenth International Congress of Zoology. The decisions in question were the following : (1) the General Directive issued to the Commission by the Congress that a note specifying the gender of every generic name placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology should be inserted in the entry on that List relating to that name ; (2) the establishment of the Official Index of Rejected and Invalid Generic Names in Zoology and the issue by the Congress of a Directive that names found by the Commission to be objectively invalid should be inscribed on that Index ; (3) the establishment of the Official List of Specific Names in Zoology (then styled the Official List of Specific Trivial Names in Zoology) and the issue to the Commission of a Directive instructing it, inter alia, to place on that Official List the specific name (then styled the " trivial name ") of every species which was the type species of a genus, the name of which was placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology where the specific name in question was an available name and was accepted by specialists as being the oldest such name for the species concerned, and, in other cases to place on that List the specific name accepted by specialists as the oldest avail- able name for the taxon concerned ; (4) the issue to the Com- mission by the Congress of a Directive that, where speciaHsts desired the stabilisation of the generic nomenclature of a given group but were not agreed as to the number of taxonomically valid genera involved, the Commission should place on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology not only the oldest available generic name concerned but also other names which were accepted by some but not all specialists as the names of 102 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS taxonomically valid genera or subgenera, subject to the endorse- ment of the entry so made on the Official List in relation to any junior generic name so placed thereon that it was placed on that List for use by speciahsts who were of the opinion that the name concerned represented a taxonomically valid genus or sub- genus distinct from that represented by the nominal genus bearing the older of the names then placed on the List. The last of the foregoing decisions provided, as will be seen, clear guidance as to the action which should be taken in regard to the six names included in the appHcation dealt with in the present Opinion which, as explained in paragraph 8 above, had been found by Mr. Hemming to be names regarded by some, but not by all, specialists as being junior subjective synonyms of older names. 10. Submission by Mr. Hemming in 1955 of a First Report, with recommendations dealing with the greater part of the applica- tion submitted in the present case : The decisions taken by the International Congress of Zoology in Paris in 1948 in regard to the matters specified in paragraph 9 above made it necessary for Mr. Hemming, in the case of each of the names dealt with in Dr. Stiles' application to re-examine and supplement the proposals which he had included in the draft of the Report on that appUca- tion which he had completed in 1947. Mr. Hemming was unable to begin this survey until after the publication in 1950 in volumes 4 and 5 of the Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature of the Official Record of the Proceedings of the Commission and the Congress in Paris in 1948, for it was on the basis of the decisions taken at the Paris meetings that the review then to be undertaken would need to be based. Thereafter, Mr. Hemming directed his attention to the present case as and when opportunity offered but it was not until after his retirement from the United Kingdom Civil Service and his starting of whole-time duty as Honorary Secretary to the Commission that he was able to devote sufficient time to this case to bring it to an issue. In his Report Mr. Hemming added the additional particulars and submitted the additional recom- mendations called for by the decisions taken by the Paris Congress. In one respect, however, this Report differed from the draft completed in 1947, for in it Mr. Hemming dealt only with those portions of Dr. Stiles' application which he recommended should OPINION 384 103 either be granted or rejected, and reserved for later Reports in the same series the consideration of the eighteen names which, as explained in paragraph 8 above, involved special issues and in some cases also the use of the Plenary Powers if serious disturbance or nomenclatorial practice was to be avoided. Mr. Hemming signed his Report on 11th February 1955. This Report, together with a covering note giving a brief historical account of the present case was submitted to the Commission on 23rd February 1955. In view of the large number of names involved, Mr. Hemming's Report, though prepared in a very condensed form, was necessarily a somewhat lengthy document, and it has accordingly been decided to attach it to the present Opinion as an Annexe in place of including it in the main body of the Opinion. III.— THE DECISION TAKEN BY THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON ZOOLOGICAL NOMENCLATURE 11. Issue of Voting Paper V.P.(O.M.)(55)7 : On 23rd February 1955 a Voting Paper (V.P.(O.M.)(55)7) was issued in which each Member of the Commission was asked (1) to state whether, " in conformity (a) with the decision already taken in principle by the International Commission regarding the placing on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology of the names of genera belonging to the Order Carnivora (Class MammaUa) from species of which parasites common to Man have been reported sub- mitted to the Commission by the late Dr. C. W. Stiles, in every case where the generic name concerned is accepted by manmaalo- gists as the oldest available name for a valid taxonomic genus, and (b) with the General Directives subsequently issued to the Commission by the International Congress of Zoology for the placing of names (i) on the Official List of Specific Names in Zoology, and (ii) upon Official Indexes of Rejected and Invalid Names ", he agreed " that the names specified in Appendices 1 to 5 of the Report on the foregoing appUcation prepared, at the request of the Commission, by the Secretary [i.e. in Appendices 1 to 5 in the Report reproduced in the Annexe to the present Opinion] and submitted under cover of a note bearing the 104 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS Registered Number Z.N.(S.) 97, simultaneously with the present Voting Paper be placed on the Official Lists and Official Indexes there specified ", and (2), if he did not so agree as regards any given item, to indicate that item. 12. The Prescribed Voting Period for Voting Paper V.P.(O.M.) (55)7 : As the foregoing Voting Paper was issued under the One-Month Rule, the Prescribed Voting Period closed on 23rd March 1955. 13. Particulars of the Voting on Voting Paper V.P.(O.M.)(55)7 : At the close of the Prescribed Voting Period, the state of the voting on Voting Paper V.P.(O.M.)(55)7 was as follows : — (a) Affirmative Votes had been given by the following twenty-two (22) Commissioners {arranged in the order in which Votes were received) : Riley ; Lemche ; Stoll ; Hering ; Vokes ; Tortonese ; Boschma ; Hanko ; Mayr ; Esaki ; Ke> ; Bradley (J.C.) ; do Amaral ; Sylvester-Bradley ; Cabrera ; Hemming ; Dymond ; Kiihnelt ; Miller ; Bonnet ; Bodenheimer ; Jaczewski ; (b) Negative Votes : None ; (c) On Leave of Absence, three (3) : Holthuis ; Mertens ; Prantl ; (d) Voting Papers not returned : None. I OPINION 384 105 14. Declaration of Result of Vote on Voting Paper V.P.(O.M.) (55)7 : On 24th March 1955, Mr. Hemming, Secretary to the International Commission, acting as Returning Officer for the Vote taken on Voting Paper V.P.(O.M.)(55)7, signed a Certificate that the Votes cast were as set out in paragraph 13 above and declaring that the proposal submitted in the foregoing Voting Paper had been duly adopted and that the decision so taken was the decision of the International Commission in the matter aforesaid. 15. Second Report by the Secretary on Dr. C. W. Stiles' Application Z.N.(S.) 97, with special reference to the generic name " Mellivora " Storr, 1780 : On 24th June 1955 Mr. Hemming submitted the following Second Report on Dr. C. W. Stiles' Application Z.N.(S) 97, in which he dealt mainly with the generic name Mellivora Storr, 1780, but in addition brought to the atten- tion of the International Commission certain minor matters arising on his First Report which he had found required further consideration : — Proposed addition to the " OflRcial List of Generic Names in Zoology " of " Mellivora " Storr, 1780, the name of a genus in the Order Camivora (Class Mammalia) from which have been reported parasites which have also been reported from Man : Second Report on Application Z.N.(S.) 97 submitted by the late Dr. C. W. Stiles By FRANCIS HEMMING, C.M.G., C.B.E., Secretary to the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature The proposal now submitted to the Commission is in the nature of a supplement to those submitted in my First Report (dated 1 1th February 1955) on the appHcation laid before the Commission by the late Dr. C. W. Stiles for the addition to the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology of a long fist of names of genera of the Order Carnivora (Class Mammaha), from species of the majority of which parasites have been reported which have also been recorded from Man. The fore- going Report was submitted with Voting Paper V.P.(O.M.)(55)7 and received the approval of the whole of the membership of the Commission. In that Report I recommended that fifty-one generic names should be placed on the Official List forthwith, but that decisions should be temporarily deferred on eighteen of the names included in Dr. Stiles' hst. One of the names which were then recommended for 106 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS postponement was the name Mellivora Storr, 1780 (Prodr. Meth. Mamm. : 34). This is the name with which the present Report is concerned. 2. When I examined Storr's Prodromus, I found that the name Mellivora nowhere occurred in it in the nominative singular as is required under Article 8 before a generic name can acquire the status of availability. So far therefore as the text of the Prodromus was concerned, the name Mellivora Storr was not an available name. I noted, however, that in reference works mention was made of a table " A " on which this generic name was said to occur. It seemed possible, indeed likely, that the name Mellivora appeared in the nominative singular on this table, but unfortunately it was lacking in the copy of the Prodrorrius which I consulted. It was for this reason that in the Report referred to above I recommended that a decision on the proposed admission of the generic name Mellivora Storr to the Official List should be postponed until such a time as the question of the availability of this name was cleared up. 3. I have now to report that I have since had an opportunity to consult a complete copy of Storr's Prodromus in the Zoological Library at the British Museum (Natural History) and that I find that on table " A " the name Mellivora duly appears in the nominative singular. This name is therefore an available name as from the Prodromus of 1780. For the reasons explained in Dr. Stiles' application and bearing in mind that Mellivora Storr is one of the genera of Carnivora from which have been reported parasites reported also from Man (see Stiles (C.W.) & Baker (Clara Edith), 1934. Nat. Inst. Hlth. Bull. 163 : 1168— 1169), this name should now be placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology. 4. The type species of Mellivora Storr, 1780, is the nominal species 1 Viverra ratel Sparrman, 1777 {K. svensk. Vet.-Akad. Handl., Stockholm: 38 : 147), having been so selected by Sclater (W.L.), 1900 {Mamm. S. Africa 1 : 109). The species so named is currently identified with the I taxon represented by the nominal species Viverra capensis Schreber, } [1776], {Die Saugthiere 3 : pi. 125 ; id., {Mil], ibid. 3 : 450). Accordingly, under the Regulations governing the admission of names to the Official Lists it is the name capensis Schreber and not the name ratel Sparrman which should now be placed on the Official List of Specific Names in Zoology. 5. On recently re-examining the Report submitted with Voting Paper V.P.(O.M.)(55)7, I find that, as then submitted, it contained two minor errors of transcription and two inadvertent omissions. These are : (1) the feminine gender instead of the masculine gender was attributed to Amblonyx Rafinesque, 1832 ; (2) the name maritimus, the specific name for the Polar Bear, was attributed to Phipps, 1774, i OPINION 384 107 instead of to Linnaeus, 1758 ( : 47), by whom (as pointed out by Commissioner Cabrera^) this name was first published for the foregoing species ; (3) the name Lasiopus Gervais, 1835 (a junior homonym of Lasiopus Schoenherr, 1823) was omitted from the Hst of names proposed to be placed on the Ojficial Index of Rejected and Invalid Generic Names in Zoology ; (4) the name primaevus Hodgson, 1838, as published in the combination Cuon primaevus (the name of the nominal species which is the type species of Cuon Hodgson, 1838) was treated as a junior subjective synonym of alpinus Pallas, [1811], as published in the combination Canis alpinus, whereas it is currently treated as the oldest available name for a subspecies for Pallas' alpinus. This name should now be placed on the Officiql List of Specific Names in Zoology. It is recommended that in every case the corrections indicated above should be made when the Ruling is prepared for the Opinion embodying the decision taken by the vote on the Voting Paper referred to above. 6. The recommendations now submitted in this matter is that the International Commission should : — (1) place the under-mentioned generic name on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology : Mellivora Storr, 1780 (gender : feminine) (type species, by selection by Sclater (W.L.) (1900) : Viverra ratel Sparrman, 1777) ; (2) place the under-mentioned specific name on the Official List of Specific Names in Zoology : capensis Schreber, [1776], as published in the combination Viverra capensis ; (3) incorporate in the RuHng to be given in the Opinion embodying the decision taken on Voting Paper V.P.(O.M.)(55)7 the minor corrections specified in paragraph 5 above. 7. The foregoing proposals are submitted as a matter of urgency, for, although the draft of the Opinion giving effect to the decision taken by the Commission on Voting Paper V.P.(O.M.)(55)7 has already been prepared, there are a number of earlier Opinions awaiting publication and it will therefore, I hope, be possible to include in the same Opinion decisions on the questions raised in the present Report. 16. Registration of Mr. Hemming 's Second Report on Dr. C. W. Staes' Application Z.N.(S). 97 : At the time of the sub- mission of ]VIr. Hemming's First Report on Dr. C. W. Stiles' " See the note by Dr. Cabrera incorporated by Dr. Stiles in his original application (: 97). 108 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS Application Z.N.(S.) 97, a separate Registered Number was allotted to each of the names which in that Report he recom- mended should be postponed for further consideration and fori which Registered Numbers had not so far been allotted. The' Registered Number then allotted to the case of the generic name Mellivora Storr, 1780, was Z.N.(S). 974. Upon the receipt of Mr. Hemming's Second Report (the text of which had been repro- duced in paragraph 15 of the present Opinion), it was decided that, as the greater part of that Report was concerned with the generic name Mellivora Storr, it should be placed in the Regis- tered File which had been opened for the consideration of that name. Hence it was that, when Mr. Hemming's Second Report was submitted to the Commission for vote it was submitted under the Registered Number Z.N.(S.) 974. 17. Issue of Voting Paper V.P.(O.M.)(55)21 : On 24th June 1955 a Voting Paper, V.P.(O.M.)(55)21 was issued in which each member of the Commission was invited to state (1) whether he agreed that " in conformity with the decision already taken in principle by the International Commission regarding the placing on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology of the names of genera of the Order Carnivora (Class Mammaha) from species of which parasites have been reported which have been reported also from Man submitted to the Commission by the late Dr. C, W. Stiles and in conformity also with the decision in relation to the names of fifty-one genera of the above Order recently taken by the Commission in its Vote on Voting Paper (O.M.)(55)7, approval be now given to the proposals regarding the generic name Mellivora Storr, 1780, and other miscellaneous matters specified in paragraph 6 of the note bearing the number Z.N.(S.) 974 submitted by the Secretary simultaneously with the present Voting Paper ", and (2), if he did not so agree as regards any given item, to specify that item. 18. The Prescribed Voting Period for Voting Paper V.P.(O.M.) (55)21 : As the foregoing Voting Paper was issued under the One Month Rule, the Prescribed Voting Period closed on 24th July 1955. OPINION 384 109 19. Particulars of the Voting on Voting Paper V.P.(O.M.)(55)21 : At the close of the Prescribed Voting Period, the state of the voting on Voting Paper V.P.(O.M.)(55)21 was as follows : — (a) Affirmative Votes had been given by the following twenty-four (24) Commissioners {arranged in the order in which Votes were received) : Holthuis ; Stoll ; Vokes ; Sylvester-Bradley ; Lemche ; Boschma ; Bodenheimer ; Cabrera ; Esaki ; Dymond ; Prantl ; Tortonese ; Key ; Bradley (J.C.) ; Miller ; Jaczewski ; Mertens ; Mayr ; Riley ; do Amaral ; Bonnet ; Hanko ; Hemming ; Hering ; (b) Negative Votes : None ; (c) On Leave of Absence, one (1 ) Kuhnelt ; (d) Voting Papers not returned : None. 20. Declaration of Result of Vote on Voting Paper V.P.(O.M.) (55)21 : On 24th July 1955, Mr. Hemming, Secretary to the International Commission, acting as Returning Officer for the Vote taken on Voting Paper V.P.(O.M.)(55)21, signed a Certificate that the Votes cast were as set out in paragraph 19 above and declaring that the proposal submitted in the foregoing Voting Paper had been duly adopted and that the decision so taken was the decision of the International Commission in the matter aforesaid. 110 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS 21. Preparation of the Ruling given in the present " Opinion " On 25th July 1955 Mr. Hemming prepared the RuUng given in the present Opinion and at the same time signed a Certificate that the terms of that RuHng were in complete accord with those of the proposals approved by the International Commission in its Vote on Voting Paper V.P.(O.M.)(55)7, as supplemented by its VoteonV.P.(O.M.)(55)21. 22. Original References : The original references for the names placed on Ojficial Lists and Ojficial Indexes by the RuHng given in the present Opinion are as set out in Appendices 1 to 5 to the First Report by the Secretary on Dr. C. W. Stiles' AppUcation Z.N.(S.) 97 which forms the Annexe to the present Opinion, as supplemented as respects two names by paragraphs 1 and 4 of the Second Report by the Secretary on the above Application the text of which has been reproduced in paragraph 15 of the present Opinion. 23. The references to the places where the type species of certain of the genera, the names of which have been placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology by the Ruling given in the present Opinion were selected under Rule (g) in Article 30 are given also in the portions of Mr. Hemming's First and Second Reports cited in the preceding paragraph. 24. Family-Group Name problems : As explained by the Secretary in paragraph 11 of his First Report on the present case, the family-group name problems raised by the addition to the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology are at present under investigation and will form the subject of a further Report to the Commission. This problem has been allotted the Registered Number Z.N.(S.) 959. 25. Registration of the names reserved for further consideration by the Ruling given in the present " Opinion " : The following Registered Numbers have been allotted to the names reserved OPINION 384 111 for further consideration by the RuHng given in the present Opinion : — Generic Name Registered Number (i) Aonyx Lesson, 1827 Z.N.(S.) 966 (ii) Crocuta Kaup, 1828 Z.N.(S.) 967 (iii) Cynictis Ogilby, 1833 Z.N.(S.) 968 (iv) Hyaena Brisson, 1762 Z.N.(S.) 177 (v) Lutra Brisson, 1762 Z.N.(S.) 177 (vi) Meles Brisson, 1762 Z.N.(S.) 177 (vii) Genetta Oken, 1816 Z.N.(S.) 969 (viii) Grison Oken, 1816 Z.N.(S.) 969 (ix) Tayra Oken, 1816 Z.N.(S.) 969 (x) Ictonyx Kaup, 1835 Z.N.(S.) 758 (xi) Lutrogale Gray, 1865 Z.N.(S.) 970 {xn) MarputiusGmy,n2>l Z.N.(S.) 971 (xiii) Martes Pinel, 1792 Z.N.(S.) 973 (xiv) Mustela Linnaeus, 1758 Z.N.(S.) 972 (xv) Mephitis Geoffroy Saint- Hilaire & Cuvier, 1795 Z.N.(S.) 975 (xvi) Potos Geoffroy Saint- Hilaire & Cuvier, 1795 Z.N.(S.) 976 (xvii) Vulpes Oken, 1816 Z.N.(S.) 977 26. The prescribed procedures were duly comphed with by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature in deahng with the present case, and the present Opinion is accordingly hereby rendered in the name of the said International Commission by the under-signed Francis Hemming, Secretary to the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, in virtue of all and every the powers conferied upon him in that behalf. 112 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS 27. The present Opinion shall be known as Opinion Three Hundred and Eighty-Four (384) of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. Done in London, this Twenty-Fifth day of July, Nineteen Hundred and Fifty-Five. Secretary to the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature FRANCIS HEMMING ANNEXE TO OPINION 384 OCR text unavailable for this page.OPINION 384 115 FIRST REPORT ON THE LATE DR. C. W. STILES' PRO- POSALS FOR THE ADDITION TO THE " OFFICIAL LIST OF GENERIC NAMES IN ZOOLOGY " OF THE NAMES OF GENERA OF THE ORDER CARNIVORA (CLASS MAMMALIA) FROM SPECIES OF WHICH HAVE BEEN REPORTED PARASITES COMMON TO MAN (Z.N.(S.) 97) By FRANCIS HEMMING, C.M.G., C.B.E., Secretary to the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature At its Session held at Lisbon in September 1935 (Lisbon Session, 4th Meeting, Conclusion 16) (1943, Bull. zool. Nomencl. 1 : 41), the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature had under prehminary consideration a proposal submitted by Dr. C. W. Stiles (at that time Secretary to the Commission) for the addition to the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology of the names of seventy-four genera of the Order Carnivora (Class MammaUa) from species of which there had been reported parasites common to Man. In submitting this proposal which was based upon an exhaustive survey of the literature relating to the parasites of Carnivora, Dr. Stiles had expressed the view that it was of great importance from the standpoint of pubUc 116 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS health that the names of these genera should be stabiUsed as soon as possible. After taking note of certain preliminary investigations already carried out, the Commission " agreed to leave it to the Secretary to determine which names should be deleted from the Hst [i.e. the list submitted by Dr. Stiles] in the light of the comments received and authorised him to proceed with the issue of an Opinion placing on the Official List of Generic Names such of those generic names as remained in the hst that had been cir- culated after it had been checked " in the hght of the comments received. 2. At the time of the Lisbon Session of the Commission Dr. Stiles was already in poor health and had already asked to be reheved of the Office of Secretary to the Commission. For this reason he unfortunately found it impossible to take any further action in this case. The papers in regard to this case were trans- ferred to my custody in 1938 in consequence of my having been elected his successor in the Office of Secretary. When in 1944 I was able to turn my attention to this case, I formed the view that it would not be sufficient merely to analyse the conmients already received in regard to this application and that it would be necessary to make a detailed study, in conjunction with mammalogists, of each of the names concerned before definite proposals could properly be laid before the Commission. These studies proved laborious and extended over a long period, for it was found necessary not only to verify with specialists the taxonomic position of the nominal genera concerned but also to carry out extensive bibliographical studies for the purpose of determining the place of first publication of each of the generic names concerned and of the names of the type species of those genera. In many cases also extensive search was needed in order to ascertain where the type species for the genera in question had first been vahdly designated, indicated or selected as such under the Rules prescribed in Article 30 of the Regies. 3. By the time of the Session of the Commission held in Paris in 1948 I had completed the first draft of my Report on the proposals submitted by Dr. Stiles and had drawn up recom- mendations for the admission to the Official List of the majority OPINION 384 117 of the names concerned and, as regards the remainder had indicated why, in my judgment, the proposals concerned should either be rejected or should be postponed for separate treatment. I did not then proceed with this matter, for the decision by the Paris Congress that, whenever a generic name is placed on the Ojficial List, (a) the entry so made shall specify the gender of the name concerned, and (b) the name of the type species of the genus in question shall, if the oldest available name, be placed on the then newly established Ojficial List of Specific Names in Zoology made it necessary to review each of the names dealt with in the Report in order to secure compUance with the fore- going decisions by the Congress. This further investigation has been completed for some time, but pressure of other classes of work in the Office of the Commission has so far prevented the submission of this case to the Commission. 4. It was originally my intention to discharge in respect of each name the duty laid upon me in this matter by submitting to the Commission a comprehensive Report examining in detail each of the seventy-four generic names recommended by Dr. Stiles for admission to the Official List, this Report to include proposals for action by the Commission in respect of each name, including in certain cases action under the Plenary Powers, either for the purpose of preserving well known names for continued use in their accustomed sense or for the purpose of clearing up matters in doubt which required settlement before a decision could be taken on the proposals submitted by Dr. Stiles. I have, however, since thought it more convenient to adopt a procedure under which the names submitted by Dr. Stiles will be dealt with in a series of Reports, each deahng either with a homogeneous group of names or with an individual name or names in respect of which special difficulties have been found to exist. 5. The present Report contains recommendations only as regards those generic names (a) which are available names, (b) which are accepted by speciaUsts as the oldest such names for taxonomically vaUd genera and (c) whose type species, as deter- mined under Article 30 of the Regies, are the species currently 118 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS accepted as the type species of the genera concerned. In other words, the names regarding which recommendations are now submitted comprise only those names which the Commission at its Lisbon Session decided in principle should be placed on the Official List and in respect of which it then authorised the Secretary to prepare, and to render on its behalf, an Opinion placing the names concerned on the Official List. In this latter respect I have not followed the procedure laid down by the Com- mission at Lisbon, in that I have considered it preferable first to submit the names in question to the Commission for express approval. 6. Of the seventy-four generic names submitted by Dr. Stiles forty-nine are now recommended for admission to the Official List. Forty-three of these names — all in universal use — are set out in Section "A" of Appendix 1. The remaining six names, which are set out in Section " B " of Appendix 1, are nomenclatorially available names for genera accepted on taxo- nomic grounds by some but not all speciaUsts. It is proposed that, in accordance with the General Directive given to the Com- mission by the International Congress of Zoology for adoption in cases such as the present (1950, Bull. zool. Nomencl. 4 : 237, 268), these names should be placed on the Official List, the entries so made to be endorsed to show that these names are so added for use by those speciaUsts who on taxonomic grounds accept the genera so named as being zoologically vahd. Sections " C " and " D " of Appendix 1 each contain one generic name which it is recommended should be placed on the Official List. Neither of these names was included in Dr. Stiles' list ; the first is, however, regarded by some speciahsts, and the second by all SpeciaUsts, as a senior subjective synonym of a name included in Dr. Stiles' proposals. In all, therefore, fifty-one generic names are recommended for admission to the Official List. 7. Appendix 2, Section " A " contains two generic names included in Dr. Stiles' proposal, the request for the admission of which to the Official List should, it is recommended, be rejected. Section " B " of the same Appendix contains five names which OPINION 384 119 were submitted by Dr. Stiles but which it has been found are already on the Official List. No action therefore is required in regard to these latter names. 8. Appendix 3 contains a Ust of eleven invalid generic names which have come to notice during the investigation of Dr. Stiles' application. These names are either junior homonyms, or junior objective synonyms, of older names or are Invahd Emenda- tions of other names. It is recommended that these names should be placed on the Official Index of Rejected and Invalid Generic Names in Zoology. 9. Appendix 4 contains recommendations for placing fifty- seven names on the Official List of Specific Names in Zoology. Section " A " contains a list of thirty-seven specific names, each of which is (it is agreed) the oldest available name for the species concerned and is the name of the type species of a genus, the name of which it is now recommended (in Appendix 1) should be placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology. Section " B " is concerned with fourteen specific names, each of which is (it is agreed) a senior subjective synonym of the name of the type species of a genus, now recommended for admission to the Official List of Generic Names. Section " C " contains two names, each of which is accepted as the name of a taxon of which the " type species " of a genus, the name of which is now recom- mended for addition to the Official List of Generic Names, is currently regarded by specialists on taxonomic grounds as being a constituent subspecies. 10. In Appendix 5 I give a list of the remaining eighteen generic names submitted by Dr. Stiles. For the reasons briefly indicated in that Appendix, I consider decisions on each of these names should be deferred for further examination of the issues involved . These names will form the subject of later Reports in the present series. 120 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS 11. Summary of action recommended on the application sub- mitted by the late Dr. C. W. Stiles : In the light of the information given in the preceding paragraphs, it is now possible to present the following table showing the action recommended as regards the seventy-four generic names which Dr. Stiles recommended should be placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology : — Table 1 Action recommended in the case of the seventy-four generic names in the Class Mammalia (Order Carnivora) proposed by Dr. C. W. Stiles for admission to the " Official List of Generic Names in Zoology " Class of Name (1) Names which are (a) nomenclatorially avail- able and (b) accepted by all specialists as the oldest available names for the genera concerned and which it is therefore now recommended should be placed on the Official List (Appendix 1, Section "A") (2) Names which (a) are nomenclatorially avail- able and (b) are regarded by some, but not by all, speciahsts to be the oldest available names for taxonomically vaHd genera and which it is therefore now recommended should be placed on the Official List with an endorsement stating that they are so placed for use by specialists who accept the genera so named as being taxonomically vaHd (Appendix 1, Section " B ") Number of Names 43 OPINION 384 121 Class of Name Number of Names (3) Total No. of names now proposed to be placed on the Official List (4) Names, the application for the admission of which to the Official List it is proposed should be rejected (Appendix 2, Section "A") (5) Names found to be already on the Official List (Appendix 2, Section " B ") (6) Names, the addition of which to the Official List should, it is recom- mended, be deferred, pending a further examination of the issues involved (Appendix 5) 49 2 5 18 (7) Total No. of names included in Dr. C. W. Stiles' apphcation as names for admission to the Official List 74 12. Importance from the standpoint of Public Health of stabilising the generic names of Carnivora recommended by Dr. C. W. Stiles for addition to the " Official List of Generic Names in Zoology " : In submitting his proposal for the addition to the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology of the names of seventy- four genera of the Order Carnivora, Dr. Stiles stressed the impor- tance from the standpoint of Public Health of stabiUsing the names of these genera, having regard to the fact that some two hundred and fifty (about 18 per cent.) of the parasites reported from species of these genera had been reported also from Man. At the time of the submission of this apphcation Dr. Stiles explained that the particulars given in it had been extracted from a paper then in the press containing a comprehensive review of the Uterature relating to the occurrence of parasites in Carnivora. This paper of which the joint authors were Stiles (C.W.) & Baker (Clara Edith) was pubhshed in December 1934 (i.e. at the close of the year in which Dr. Stiles submitted his application to the Commission) under the title " Key Catalogue of Parasites reported for Carnivora (Cats, Dogs, Bears, etc.) with their possible Pubhc Health Importance " 122 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS {Nat. Inst. Hlth. Bull. 163 : 911 — 1223). I have carefully examined this paper which fully bears out the opinion expressed by Dr. Stiles that it is important from the PubUc Health point of view that the names of these genera of Carnivora should be stabilised as quickly as possible. For out of the seventy-four genera included in Dr. Stiles' application parasites reported from Man have been reported from no less than forty-eight. The names concerned are the following : — Table 2 Names of genera of the Order Carnivora from species of which there have been reported parasites also reported from Man Names of Genera Number of Names (1) Names of genera recommended for imme- diate admission to the " Official List " : Acinonyx (Cynailurus) ; Ailurus ; Alopex ; Arctic tis ; Atilax ; Civettictis ; Conepatus ; Crossarchus ; Cuon ; Fennecus ; Galerella ; Helarctos ; Helogale ; Herpestes ; Ich- neumia ; Icticyon ; Lycaon ; Melursus ; Mungos ; Otocyon ; Paradoxurus ; Pro- teles ; Suricata ; Taxidea ; Thalarctos ; Urocyon ; Viverra ; Viverricula . . (2) Names of genera found to have already been placed on the " Official List " : Gulo ; Nasua ; Procyon ; Putorius ; Ursus ; (3) Names of genera, the admission of which to the " Official List " should, it is recom- mended, be deferred for further examina- tion : Crocuta ; Cynictis ; Genetta ; Grison ; Hyaena ; Ictonyx ; Lutra ; Marputius ; Martes ; Meles ; Mellivora ; Mephitis ; Mustela ; Tayra ; Vulpes . . 28 5 15 48 OPINION 384 123 13. Family-Group Name Problems : The family-group name problems involved in the present case are still under investigation. When the present survey has been completed, a separate Report on this subject will be submitted to the Commission for considera- tion. 14. In submitting the present Report, I have to acknowledge with gratitude the great assistance which has been rendered in the course of its preparation by the authorities in charge of the great scientific libraries in London. At the same time I wish to express my gratitude to the following specialists, each of whom has given most valuable help in the elucidation of problems arising in connection with one or other of the names dealt with in the present Report, or has been good enough to check the proposals now submitted : — Professor Dr. H. Boschma, Dr. L. D. Brongers- ma and Dr. G. C. A. Junge {Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie, Leiden, The Netherlands) ; Dr. David H. Johnson ; {United States National Museum, Washington, B.C., U.S.A.) ; Dr. Angel Cabrera (Cuidad Eva Peron,^ Argentina) ; Dr. PhiUp Hershkovitz (Chicago Natural History Museum, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.) ; Dr. Karl Jordan {British Museum {Natural History), Zoological Museum, Tring, Herts., England) ; Dr. Remington Kellogg {United States National Museum, Washington, B.C., U.S.A.) ; Dr. T. C. S. Morrison-Scott {British Museum {Natural History), London) ; the late Dr. Wilfred H. Osgood {Chicago Natural History Museum, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.) ; Dr. Henry W. Setzer {United States National Museum, Washing- ton, D.C., U.S.A.) ; the late Dr. G. H. H. Tate {The American Museum of Natural History, New York). 15. The recommendations now submitted are that the Inter- national Commission should : — (1) place on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology the fifty-one names specified in Appendix 1 ; (2) reject the application for the admission to the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology of the two names specified in Section "A" of Appendix 2 ; * Since the completion of this Report, the former name La Plata has been restored to this city. 124 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS (3) take note that the five names specified in Section " B " of Appendix 2 have akeady been placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology ; (4) place on the Official Index of Rejected and Invalid Generic Names in Zoology the eleven names specified in Appendix 3; (5) place on the Official List of Specific Names in Zoology the fifty-three names specified in Appendix 4 ; (6) take note that Reports will be submitted as soon as possible in regard to the eighteen generic names specified in Appendix 5, which have been postponed for further investigation. FRANCIS HEMMING Secretary to the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 11th February 1955 OPINION 384 125 APPENDIX 1 Names of genera in the Order Carnivora (Class Manunalia) recommended for addition to the '' Official List of Generic Names in Zoology " Section A : — ^Forty-three generic names, each of which is an available name and is accepted by mammalogists as the oldest such name for a valid taxonomic genus Ailurus Cuvier (G.F.), 1825, in Geoffrey Saint-Hilaire (E.) & Cuvier (G.F.), Hist. nat. Mammif. 3(50) : " Panda " 3 et Tab. 203 (gender : masculine) (type species, by monotypy : Ailurus fulgens Cuvier (G.F.), 1825, in Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (E.) & Cuvier (G.F.), Hist. nat. Mammif. 3(50) : " Panda " 3 et Tab. 203) Alopex Kaup, 1829, Skizz. Entwickel.-Gesch. u. nat. Syst. europ. Thierwelt : 85 (gender : feminine) (type species, by monotypy : Canis lagopus Linnaeus, 1758, Syst. Nat. (ed. 10) 1 : 40) Amblonyx Rafinesque, 1832, Atlantic J. 1(2) : 62 (gender : mascu- line)* (type species, by monotypy : Amblonyx concolor Rafines- que, 1832, Atlantic J. 1(2) : 62) Arctictis Temminck, 1824, Monogr. Mammalog. 1 : xxi (gender : feminine) (type species, by monotypy : Viverra binturong RaflBes, 1821, Trans, linn. Soc. Lond. 13(1) : 253) By an unfortunate error of transcription the feminine gender was attributed to this generic name when on 23rd March 1955 this paper was submitted to the Commission. For the correction of this error see paragraph 5(1) of the Second Report submitted by the Secretary reproduced in paragraph 15 of Opinion 384 (p. 106 of the present volume). 126 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS Arctogalidia Merriam, 1897, Science (n.s.) 5 : 302 (gender : feminine) (type species, by monotypy through operation of Rule (f) in Article 30 on the replaced name Arctogale Gray (J.E.), [1865] : Paradoxurus trivirgatus Gray (J.E.), 1832, Proc. zool Soc. Lond. 2(1832)(17) : 68. AtUax Cuvier (G.F.), 1826, in Geoflfroy Saint-Hilaire (E.) & Cuvier (G.F.), Hist. nat. Mammif. 3(54) : " Vansire " 2 et Tab. (gender : masculine) (type species, by original designation : Herpestes paludinosus Cuvier (G.L.C.F.D.), 1829, Regne Anim. (ed. 2) 1 : 158) Bassariscus Coues, 1887, Science 9 : 516 (gender : masculine) (type species, by monotypy through operation of Rule (f) on the replaced name Bassaris Lichtenstein, [1830] : Bassaris astuta Lichtenstein, [1830], Abh. ph.-Kl. K. preuss. Acad. Wiss., Berhnl827 : 119) Bdeogale Peters, 25th June 1850, Spenersch. Ztg. 1850 : 25 (also, later in 1850, in Vossisch. Ztg.) (gender : feminine) (type species, by selection by Thomas (M.R.O.) (1882, Proc. zool. Soc. Lond. 1882 : 81) : Bdeogale crassicauda Peters, February 1852, Monatsber. K. preuss. Acad. Wiss., Berlin 1852 : 81 ; id., [post Feb.] 1852, Naturwiss. Reise Mossambique [sic] 1 : 119, 120, pi. 27) Civettictis Pocock, 1915, Proc. zool. Soc. Lond. 1915(1) : 134, 139 (gender : feminine) (type species, by monotypy : Viverra civetta Schreber, [1777], Die Sdugthiere 3 : 418 ; id., [1778], ibid.: pi. Ill) Conepatus Gray (J.E.), 1837, Mag. nat. Hist, (n.s.) 1 : 581 (gender : mascuhne) (type species, by monotypy : Conepatus humboldtii Gray (J.E.), 1837, Mag. nat. Hist, (n.s.) 1 : 581) Crossarchus Cuvier (G.F.), 1825, in Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (E.) & Cuvier (G.F.), Hist. nat. Mammif. 3(47) : " Mangue " 3 et Tab. (gender : masculine) (type species, by original designation : Crossarchus obscurus Cuvier (G.F.), 1825, in Geoflfroy Saint- Hilaire (E.) & Cuvier (G.F.), Hist. nat. Mammif. 3(47) : " Mangue " 3 et Tab.) OPINION 384 127 Cryptoprocta Bennett, 1833, Proc. zool Soc. Lond. 1(1833)(4) : 46 (gender : feminine) (type species, by original designation : Cryptoprocta ferox Bennett, 1833, Proc. zool. Soc. Lond. 1(1833)(4) : 46) Cuon Hodgson, 1838, Ann. nat. Hist. 1 : 152 (gender : masculine) (type species, by monotypy : Cuon primaevus Hodgson, 1838, Ann. nat. Hist. 1 : 152) Cynogale Gray (J.E.), [1837], Proc. zool. Soc. Lond. 4(46) : 88 (gender : feminine) (type species, by monotypy : Cynogale bennettii Gray (J.E.), [1837], Proc. zool. Soc. Lond. 4(46) : 88) Enhydra Fleming, 1822, Philosophy Zool. 2 : 187 (gender : femi- nine) (type species, by monotypy : Mustela lutris Linnaeus, 1758, Syst. Nat. (ed. 10) 1 : 45) Eupleres Doyere, 1835, Bull. Soc. Sci. nat. France 1835(3) : 45 ; (5) : 103 ; id., 1835 [later than above paper], Ann. Sci. nat., Paris (2) (Zool.) 4 : 280, pi. 8 (gender : feminine) (type species, by monotypy : Eupleres goudotii Doyere, 1835, Bull. Soc. Sci. nat. France 1835(3) : 45) Fennecus Desmarest, 1804, Nouv. Diet. Hist. nat. 24(Tab.) : 18 (gender : masculine) (type species, by original designation : Fennecus arabicus Desmarest, 1804, Nouv. Diet. Hist. nat. 24 (Tab.) : 18) Helarctos Horsfield, 1825, Zool. J. 2(6) : 221 (gender : masculine) (type species, by original designation : Helarctos euryspUus Horsfield, 1825, Zool. J. 2(6) : 221) Helictis Gray (J.E.), 1831, Proc. zool. Soc. Lond. 1(1830/31)(8) : 94 (gender : feminine) (type species, by monotypy : Helictis moschata Gray (J.E.), 1831, Proc. zool. Soc. Lond. 1(1830/3 1)(8) : 94) Helogale Gray (J.E.), [1862], Proc. zool. Soc. Lond. 1861 : 308 (gender : feminine) (type species, by selection by Thomas (M.R.O.) (1882, Proc. zool. Soc. Lond. 1882 : 79) : Herpestes parvulus Sundevall, 1846, Ofvers. K. svensk. Vet.-Akad. For- handl., Stockholm 3 (No. 5) : 151) 128 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS Herpestes (emend, of Herpertes) Illiger, 1811, Prodr. Syst. Mamm. Avium : 135 (as Herpertes), 303 (emend, to Herpestes) (gender : masculine) (type species, by absolute tautonymy through operation of Rule (f) in Article 30 on the replaced name Ichneu- mon Lacepede, 1799 : Viverra ichneumon Linnaeus, 1758, Syst. Nat. (ed. 10) 1 : 43) Ichneumia Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (I.), 1837, C.R. Acad. Sci. nat., Paris 5 : 580 ; id., 1837 [later than the above paper], Ann. Sci. nat., Paris (2) (Zool.) 8 : 251 (gender : feminine) (type species, by selection by Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (1839, Mag. Zool. (2) 1:4): Herpestes albicaudus Cuvier (G.L.C.F.D.), 1829, Regne Anin^. (ed. 2) 1 : 158) Lycaon Brookes, 1827, in Griffith's Cuvier, Anim. Kingd. (Mamm.) 5 Syn. : 151 (gender : mascuHne) (type species, by monotypy : Lycaon tricolor Brookes, 1827, in Griffith's Cuvier, Anim. Kingd. (Mamm.) 5 Syn. : 151) Melursus Meyer, 1793, Zool. Entdeck. Neuholland u. Afrika : 155 (gender : mascuhne) (type species, by monotypy : Melursus lybius Meyer, 1793, Zool. Entdeck. Neuholland u. Afrika : 156) Mungos Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (E.) & Cuvier (G.F.), 1795, Mag. encyclop. 2(6) : 187 (gender : mascuUne) (type species, by selection by Muirhead ([1819], Edinburgh Ency. 13 : 415), when emending the name Mungos to Mungo : Viverra mungo GmeUn, 1788, in Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. (ed. 13) 1(1) : 84) Mydaus Cuvier (G.F.), 1821, in Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (E.) & Cuvier (G.F.), Hist. nat. Mammif. 2(27) : " Telagon " 2 (gender : mascuUne) (type species, by monotypy : Mydaus meliceps Cuvier (G.F.), 1821, in Geoffroy Saint-HUaire (E.) &L Cuvier (G.F.), Hist. nat. Mammif. 2(27) : " Telagon " 2) Nandinia Gray (J.E.), 1843, List. Mamm. Coll. Brit. Mus. : 54 (gender : feminine) (type species, by monotypy : Viverra binotata Gray (J.E.), 1830, Spicil. zool. (2) : 9) OPINION 384 129 Otocyon Miiller (J.), 1836, Arch. f. Anat. Physiol, u. Wissensch. Medicin 1836 : / (gender : masculine) (type species, by mono- typy : Otocyon caffer Miiller (J.), 1836, Arch.f. Anat. Physiol, u. Wissensch. Medicin 1836 : /) Paradoxurus Cuvier (G.F.), 1821, in Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (E.) & Cuvier (G.F.), Hist. nat. Mammif. 2(24) : " Martre des Palmiers " 5 et Tab. 1 (gender : masculine) (type species, by indication under Rule (b) in Article 30 : Paradoxurus typus Cuvier (G.F.), 1821, in Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (E.) & Cuvier (G.F.), 1821, Hist. nat. Mammif. 2(24) : " Martre des Palmiers " 5 et Tab. 1) PoecUogale Thomas (M.R.O.), 1883, Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (5) 11 : 370 (gender : feminine) (type species, by monotypy : Zorilla albinucha Gray (J.E.), 1864, Proc. zool. Soc. Lond. 1864 : 69, pi. 10) Poiana Gray (J.E.), [1865], Proc. zool Soc. Lond. 1864 : 507, 520 (gender : feminine) (type species, by monotypy : Genetta richardsonii Thomson (T.R.H.), 1842, Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. 10 : 204) Proteles Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (I.), [Sept.] 1824, Bull. Sci. Soc. philomat. Paris 1824 : 139 ; id., [post Sept.] 1824, Mem. Mus. Hist, nat., Paris 11 : 355, pi. 20 (gender : mascuUne) (type species, by original designation : Proteles lalandii Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (I.), 1824, Bull. Sci. Soc. philomat. Paris 1824 : 139) Pteronura Gray (J.E.), 1837, Mag. nat. Hist, (n.s.) 1 : 580 (gender : feminine) (type species, by monotypy : Pteronura sambachii Gray (J.E.), 1837, Mag. nat. Hist, (n.s.) 1 : 580) Rhynchogale Thomas (M.R.O.), 1894, Proc. zool. Soc. Lond. 1894 : 139 (gender : feminine) (type species, by monotypy through operation of Rule (f ) in Article 30 on the replaced name Rhino- gale Gray (J.E.), [1865] : Rhinogale meUeri Gray (J.E.), [1865], Proc. zool. Soc. Lond. 1864 : 575, text-fig.) 130 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS Spflogale Gray (J.E.), 1865, Proc. zooL Soc. Lond. 1865 : 150 (gender : feminine) (type species, by monotypy : Mephitis interrupta Rafinesque, 1820, Annals of Nature : 3) Suricata Desmarest, 1804, Nouv. Diet. Hist. nat. 24(Tab.) : 15 (gender : feminine) (type species, by monotypy : Suricata capensis Desmarest, 1804, Nouv. Diet. Hist. nat. 24(Tab.) : 15) Taxidea Waterhouse (G.R.), 1839, Proe. zool. Soe. Lond. 6(71) : 153 (gender : feminine) (type species, by monotypy : Ursus labradorius Gmelin, 1788, in Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. (ed. 13) 1(1) : 102) Thalarctos Gray (J.E.), 1825, Ann. Phil. 26 : 62 (gender : mascu- line) (type species, by monotypy : Thalarctos polaris Gray (J.E.), 1825, Ann. Phil. 26 : 62) Urocyon Baird, 1857, Mamm. N. Amer. : 121, 138 (gender : masculine) (type species, by selection by Elliot ([March] 1901, Field Mus. Publ. (Zool.) 2 : 307) [also in December 1901, by Miller & Rehn, Proe. Boston Soe. nat. Hist. 30 : 202—204] : Canis virginianus Schreber, [1776], Die Sdugthiere 3 : 361, pi. 92, B) Viverra Linnaeus, 1758, Syst. Nat. (ed. 10) 1 : 43 (gender : feminine) (type species, by selection by Sclater (W.L.) (1900, Fauna S. Afriea (Mamm.) 1 : 50) : Viverra zibetha Linnaeus, 1758, Syst. Nat. (ed. 10) 1 : 44) Viverricula Hodgson, 1838, Ann. nat. Hist. 1(2) : 152 (gender : feminine) (type species, by selection by Sclater (W.L.) (1891, Cat. Mamm. Ind. Mus. 2 : 238) : Viverra indica Desmarest, 1804, Nouv. Diet. Hist. nat. 24(Tab.) : 17) I OPINION 384 131 Vormela Blasius, 1884, Ber. naturf. Ges. Bamberg 13 : 9, 14 (gender : feminine) (type species, by original designation : Mustela sarmatica Pallas, 1771, Reise. Prov. russ. Reichs 1 : 453) Xenogale Allen, 1919, /. Mamm. 1 : 27 (gender : feminine) (type species, by original designation : Xenogale microdon Allen, 1919, /. Mamm. 1 : 27) Section B : — Six generic names, each of which is an available name and each of which is accepted by some, but not all, mam- malogists as the oldest name for a valid genus or subgenus (Note : — Under a General Directive issued to it by the Inter- national Congress of Zoology (1950, Bull. zool. Nomencl. 4 : 237, 268) the International Commission is required, when specialists are divided on the question whether one or more genera are taxonomically involved, to place on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology all the generic names con- cerned, with a note in the case of each of the later published names that it is placed on the Official List for use by those specialists who consider on taxonomic grounds that its type species is not congeneric (or consubgeneric) with the type species of the nominal genus having the older name.) GalereUa Gray (J.E.), [1865], Proc. zool. Soc. Lond. 1864 : 564 (gender : feminine) (type species, by monotypy : Herpestes ochraceus Gray (J.E.), 1849, Proc. zool. Soc. Lond. 16(189) : 138) (for use by those specialists who consider on taxonomic grounds that GalereUa Gray is distinct from Herpestes lUiger, 1811) Icticyon Lund, 1842, Overs. K. Danske Vid. Selsk. Forhandl. Kjobenhavn 1842(6) : 80 (gender : masculine) (type species, by monotypy through operation of Rule (f) in Article 30 on the replaced name Cynogale Lund, 1842 : Icticyon venaticus Lund, 1842, Overs. K. Danske Vid. Selsk. Forhandl. Kjobenhavn 1842 (6) : 80) (for use by those specialists who consider on taxonomic grounds that Icticyon Lund is distinct from the fossil genus Speothos Lund, 1839) 132 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS Leucomitra Howell, 1901, N. Amer. Fauna 20 : 39 (gender : feminine) (type species, by monotypy : Chincha macroura Lichtenstein, 1832, Darstell. Sdugth. : text to pi. 46) (for use by those specialists who consider on taxonomic grounds that Leucomitra Howell is distinct from Mephitis Geoffroy Saint- Hilaire (E.) & Cuvier (G.F.), 1795) Lutreola Wagner, 1841, in Schreber, Die Sdugthiere, Suppl. 2 : 239 (gender : feminine) (type species, by absolute tautonymy : Viverra lutreola Linnaeus, 1761, Faun. svec. (ed. 2) : 5) (for use by those specialists who consider on taxonomic grounds that Lutreola Wagner is distinct from Mustela Linnaeus, 1758 as currently interpreted) Oryctogale Merriam, 1902, Proc. biol. Soc. Wash. 15 : 161 (gender : feminine) (type species, by original designation : Mephitis leuconota Lichtenstein, [1832 — 1834], Darstell. Sdugth. (9) : text to pi. 44, fig. 1) (for use by those specialists who consider on taxonomic grounds that Oryctogale Merriam is distinct from Conepatus Gray (J.E.), 1837) Paracynictis Pocock, 1916, Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (8) 17 : 177 (gender : feminine) (type species, by original designation : Cynictis selousi de Winton, 1896, Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (6) 18 : 469) (for use by those specialists who consider on taxonomic grounds that Paracynictis Pocock is distinct from Cynictis Ogilby, 1833) Section C : — One generic name not included in Dr. Stiles' applica- tion which is regarded by some specialists as a senior subjective synonym of a name which was included in that application and which is now proposed to be placed on the '' Official List of Generic Names in Zoology " Speothos Lund, [April] 1839, Ann. Sci. nat., Paris (2) (Zool.) 11 : 224 [also, later in 1839, Echo Monde savant 5(No. 430) : 245] OPINION 384 133 (gender : masculine) (type species, by monotypy : Speothos pacivorus Lund, 1839, Ann. Sci. nat., Paris (2) (Zool.) 11 : 224) (Note : — The nominal genus Speothos Lund, 1839, is subjectively identified by some specialists with the nominal genus Icticyon Lund, 1842. By such specialists the name Icticyon Lund is treated as a junior subjective synonym of Speothos Lund. Under the General Directive referred to in the Note to Section B of the present Appendix, the Commission is required by the Congress in such a case to place both names on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology, subject, in the case of the later-published name, to the addition of a note that the later- published name is placed on the Official List for use by specialists who consider on taxonomic grounds that the genus so named is distinct from that bearing the older name. In the present case it has been proposed that the name Icticyon Lund should, subject to the addition of such a note, be placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology (see Section B of the present Appendix). It is here proposed that the older of the two generic names concerned, which it is agreed is the name of a taxonomically valid genus should, as such, now be placed on the Official List.) Section D : — One generic name not included in Dr. Stiles' applica- tion which is a senior subjective synonym of a name which was included in that application but which is not now proposed to be included in the " Official List of Generic Names in Zoology " Acinonyx Brookes, 1828, Cat. anat. zool. Mus. J. Brookes : 16 (gender : masculine) (type species, by monotypy : Acinonyx venator Brookes, 1828, Cat. anat. zool. Mus. J. Brookes : 16) (Note : — The applicant in the present case asked that the generic name Cynailurus Wagler, 1830 {Nat. Syst. Amph. : 30) should be placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology. It has been shown, however, (HoUister, 1911) (a) that Acinonyx venator Brookes, 1828 (the type species of ^cmowjx Brookes, 1828) represents the same taxon as Felis venatica Griffith, 1821 {Descr. Anim. (Carn.) : 93) ; (b) that Felis venatica Griffith is a subspecies of Felis jubata Schreber, [1776] (Die Sdugthiere 3 : pi. 105 ; id., [1777], ibid. 3 : 392), the type species of Cynailurus Wagler, 1830 ; and (c) therefore that Cynailurus Wagler, 1830, is a junior subjective synonym of Acinonyx Brookes, 1828.) 134 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS APPENDIX 2 Proposed rejection of proposals for the addition to the " Official List of Generic Names in Zoology " of seven generic names Section A : — Two generic names which are regarded by mammalo- gists as jmiior subjective synonyms of other generic names Cynailm-us Wagler, 1830, Nat. Syst. Amph. : 30 (type species, by monotypy : Felix jubata Schreber, [1776], Die Sdugthiere 3 : pi. 105 ; id., [1777], ibid. 3 : 392) (a junior subjective synonym of Acinonyx Brookes, 1 828). (For further particulars see Appendix 1, Section D.) Micraonyx Allen, 1919, /. Mamm. 1 : 24 (type species, by original designation : Lutra leptonyx Horsfield, 1823 {Zool. Researches Java : (7)) (a junior subjective synonym of Amblonyx Rafinesque, 1832, a name which in Appendix 1, Section A, it is now proposed should be placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology). (The nominal species {Lutra leptonyx Horsfield, 1823) which is the type species of Micraonyx Allen is considered to represent the same taxon as Lutra cinerea Illiger, [1815], which in turn is considered to represent the same taxon as Amblonyx concolor Rafinesque, 1832, the type species (by monotypy) of Amblonyx Rafinesque, 1832). Section B : — ^Five generic names already placed on the " OflBcial List of Generic Names in Zoology " Gulo Pallas, 1780 (type species : Mustela gulo Linnaeus, 1758) {Opinion 91) Nasua Storr, 1780 (type species : Viverra nasua Linnaeus, 1766) {Opinion 91) Procyon Storr, 1780 (type species : Ursus lotor Linnaeus, 1758) {Opinion 91) Putorius Cuvier (G.L.C.F.D.), 1817 (type species : Mustela putorius Linnaeus, 1758) {Opinion 91) Ursus Linnaeus, 1758 (type species : Ursus arctos Linnaeus, 1758) {Opinion 75) OPINION 384 135 APPENDIX 3 Proposed addition of certain names to tlie " OfiScial Index of Rejected and Invalid Generic Names in Zoology " Arctogale Gray (J.E.), [1865], Proc. zool. Soc. Lond. 1864 : 508, 528, 542 (a junior homonym of Arctogale Kaup, 1829, Skizz. Entwickel.-Gesch. u. nat. Syst. europ. Thierwelt : 30) Bassaris Lichtenstein, [1830], Abk. preuss. Acad. Wiss., Berlin 1827 : 119 (a junior homonym of Bassaris Hiibner, [1819], Samml. exot. Schmett. 2 : pi. [24]) Cyon Agassiz (J.L.R.), 1846, Nomencl. zool. Index univ. (an Invalid Emendation of Cuon Hodgson, 1838) Cynogale Lund, 1842, K. Danske Vet. Selsk. Afh. 9 : 203 (a junior homonym of Cynogale Gray (J.E.), [1827], Proc. zool. Soc. Lond. 4 {^6) : 88) Herpertes lUiger, 1811, Prodr. Syst. Mamm. Avium : 135 (an Invahd Original Spelling for Herpestes Illiger, 1811) Ichneumon Lacepede, 1799, Tabl. Div. Mamm. : 7 (a junior homonym of Ichneumon Linnaeus, 1758, Syst. Nat. (ed. 10) 1 : 560) Lasiopus Gervais, 1835, Resume des Legons de Mammalogie, Paris : 37 (a junior homonym of Lasiopus Schoenherr, 1823, Peric. Entom. (3) : 35)^ Lasiopus Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (L), 1839, Mag. Zool. (2) 1 : 4 (a junior homonym of Lasiopus Schoenherr, 1823 {Peric. Entom. (3) : 35) and a junior objective synonym of Ichneumia Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (L), 1837) By an unfortunate oversight this name was omitted at the time when this Appendix was first compiled from the particulars given in Appendix 6 and in consequence did not appear in this Appendix when on 23rd March 1955 this paper was submitted to the Commission. For the correction of this oversight see paragraph 5(3) of the Second Report submitted by the Secretary reproduced in paragraph 15 of Opinion 384 (p. 107 of the present volume). 136 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS Mimgo Muirhead, [1819], Edinburgh Ency. 13 ; 415 (an Invalid Emendation of Mungos Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (E.) & Cuvier (G.F.), 1795) Rhinogale Gray (J.E.), [1865], Proc. zool. Soc. Lond. 1864 : 573 (a junior homonym of Rhinogale Gloger, 1841, Gemeinnutz. Naturgesch. 1 : xxix) Taxidia Hodgson, 1847, J. asiat. Soc. Bengal 16 : 763 (an Invalid Emendation of Taxidea Waterhouse, 1839) Thalarctus Agassiz (J.L.R.), 1846, Nomencl. zool. Index univ. (an Invalid Emendation of Thalarctos Gray (J.E.), 1825) OPINION 384 137 APPENDIX 4 Proposed addition of names to the " Official List of Specijfic Names in Zoology " Section A : — Specific names of the type species of thirty-eight genera, the names of which it is proposed in Appendix 1 should now be placed on the '" Official List of Generic Names in Zoology " (Note : — The original references for the names cited below are not given in the present Section, as they have already been given in Appendix 1.) Specific name proposed to be Name of genus of which placed on the '''' Official List species cited in Col. (1) is the of Specific Names in Zoology " type species (1) (2) albicaudus Cuvier (G.L.C.F.D.), Ichneumia Geoffroy Saint- 1829, Herpestes Hilaire (L), 1837 albinucha Gray (J.E.), 1864, Poecilogale Thomas (M.R.O.), Zorilla 1883 astuta Lichtenstein, [1830], Bassariscus Coues, 1887 Bassaris bennettii Gray (J.E.), [1837], Cynogale Gray (J.E.), [1837] Cynogale binotata Gray (J.E.), 1830, Nandinia Gray (J.E.), 1843 Viverra binturong Raffles, 1821, Viverra Arctictis Temminck, 1824 civetta Schreber, [1777], Civet tictis Pocock, 1915 Viverra concolor Rafinesque, 1832, Amblonyx Rafinesque, 1832 Amblonyx crassicauda Peters, 1852, Bdeo- Bdeogale Peters, [1850] gale 138 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS Specific name proposed to be Name of genus of which placed on the ''^ Official List of species cited in Col. (1) is the Specific Names in Zoology " type species (1) (2) ferox Bennett, 1833, Crypto- Cryptoprocta Bennett, 1833 procta fulgens Cuvier (G.F.), 1825, Ailurus Cuvier (G.F.), 1825 Ailurus goudotii Doyere, 1835, Eupleres Eupleres Doyere, 1835 humboldtii Gray (J.E.), 1837, Co«e^fl?M-y Gray (J.E.), 1837 Conepatus ichneumon Linnaeus, 1758, Herpestes (QmQnd. of Herpertes) Viverra Illiger, 1811 indica Desmarest, 1804, Viverra Viverricula Hodgson, 1838 interrupta Rafinesque, 1820, Spilogale Gray (J.E.), 1865 Mephitis lagopus Linnaeus, 1758, Canis Alopex Kaup, 1829 leuconota Lichtenstein, [1832 — Oryctogale Merriam, 1902 1834], Mephitis lutreola Linnaeus, 1761, Viverra Lutreola Wagner, 1841 lutris Linnaeus, 1758, Mustela Enhydra Fleming, 1822 macroura Lichtenstein, 1832, Leucomitra Howell, 1901 Chincha meliceps Cuvier (G.F.), 1821, Mydaus Cuvier, (G.F.) 1821 Mydaus melleri Gray (J.E.), [1865], Rhynchogale Thomas (M.R.O.), Rhinogale 1894 microdon Allen, 1919, Xenogale Xenogale Allen, 1919 moschata Gray (J.E.), 1831, Helictis Gray (J.E.), 1831 Helictis OPINION 384 139 Specific name proposed to be Name of genus of which placed on the ''Official List of species cited in Col. (1) is the Specific Names in Zoology " type species (1) (2) mimgo Gmelin, 1788, Viverra Mungo Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (E.) & Cuvier (G.F.), 1795 obscurus Cuvier (G.F.), 1825, CrossarchusC\xV\Qv,{G.¥.),\%25 Crossarchus ochraceus Gray (J.E.), 1849, Galerella Gray (J.E.), [1865] Herpestes pacivorus Lund, 1839, Speothos Speothos Lund, 1839 paludinosus Cuvier (G.L.C.F.D.), Atilax Cuvier (G.F.), 1826 1829, Herpestes parviilus Sundevall, 1846, Her- Helogale Gray (J.E.), [1862] pestes primaevus Hodgson, 1838, Cuon^ Cuon Hodgson, 1838 richardsonii Thomson (T.R.H.), Poiana Gray (J.E.), [1865] 1842, Genetta sambachii Gray (J.E.), 1837, Pteronura Gray (J.E.), 1837 Pteronura selousi de Winton, 1896, Cynic- Paracynictis Pocock, 1916 tis trivirgatus Gray (J.E.), 1832, Arctogalidia Merriam, 1897 Paradoxurus venaticus Lund, 1842, Icticyon Icticyon Lund, 1842 zibetha Linnaeus, 1758, Viverra Viverra Linnaeus, 1758 For a note on the taxonomic status of the nominal species bearing this name see paragraph 5(4) of the Second Report submitted by the Secretary reproduced in paragraph 15 of Opinion 384 (p. 107 of the present volume). 140 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS Section B : — Specific names of thirteen nominal species each of which is subjectively identified by speciaUsts with a nominal species having a later name which is the type species of a genus, the name of which it is now proposed should be placed on the " Official List of Generic Names in Zoology " (Note : — In the present Section the original references are given for the names cited in Col. (1), since these names have not previously been cited in the present Report. References are not given, however, for the names cited in Col. (2), as in each case the reference has already been given in Appendix 1.) Specific name proposed to be placed on the '^Official List of Specific Names in Zoology " (1) cinereoargenteus, Canis, Scbre- ber, [1776], Die Sdugthiere 3 : 360, pi. 92 cristata, Viverra, Sparrman, 1783, Resa Goda Hopps- Udden 1 : 581 hermaphroditus, Viverra, Pallas, [1777], in Schreber, Die Sdug- thiere 3 : 426 malayanus, Ursus, Raffles, 1821, Trans, linn. Soc. Lond. 13(1) : 254 maritimus, Ursus,'^ Linnaeus, 1758, Syst. Nat. (ed. 10) 1 : 47 Name of nominal species with which the species cited in Col. (1) is subjectively identi- fied by specialists (2) Canis virginianus Schreber, [1776] (type species of Uro- cyon Baird, 1857) Proteles lalandii Geoffroy Saint- Hilaire (L), 1824, Proteles (type species of Proteles Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (I.), 1824) Paradoxurus typus F.), 1821 (type Paradoxurus Cuvier 1821) Cuvier (G. species of (G.F.), Helarctos euryspilus Horsfield, 1825 (type species of Helarctos Horsfield, 1825) Thalarctos polaris Gray (J.E.), 1825 (type species of Thal- arctos Gray (J.E.), 1825) For a note on the authorship and pubhcation attributable to this name see paragraph 5(2) of the Second Report submitted by the Secretary reproduced in paragraph 15 of Opinion 384 (p. 106 of the present volume). OPINION 384 141 Specific name proposed to be placed on the " Official List of Specific Names in Zoology " (1) Name of nominal species with which the species cited in Col. (1) is subjectively identified by specialists (2) megalotis, Canis, Desmarest, Otocyon coffer Miiller (J.), 1836 1822, Ency. meth., Mamm. (type species of Otocyon (2) : 538 Miiller (J.), 1836) peregusna, Mustela, Guelden- staedt, 1770, Nov. Comm. Sci. Petrop. 14(1) : 441 Mustela sarmatica Pallas, 1771 (type species of Vormela Bla- sius, 1884) picta, Hyaena, Temminck, 1820, Lycaon tricolor Brookes, 1827 Ann. gen. Sci. Phys., Bru- (type species of Lycaon xelles 3 : 54, pi. 35 Brookes, 1827) suricata, Viverra, Schreber, [1776], Die Sdugthiere 3 : pi. 97 Suricata capensis Desmarest, 1804 (type species of Suri- cata Desmarest, 1804) taxus, Ursus, Schreber, [1777], Ursus labradorius Gmelin, 1788 Die Sdugthiere 3 : 520 ; id., (type species of Taxidea [1778], ibid. 3 : pi. 142B Waterhouse, 1839) ursinus, Bradypus, Shaw, 1791, Melursus lybius Meyer, 1793 Nat. Miscell. 2 : pis. 58 — 59 (type species of Melursus Meyer, 1793) venatica, Felis, Griffith, 1821, Acinonyx venator BrookQS, IS2S Descr. Anim. (Carn.) : 93 (type species of Acinonyx Brookes, 1828) zerda, Canis, Zimmermann, Fennecus arabicus Desmarest, 1780, Geograph. Gesch. 2 : 1804 (type species of Fen- 247 necus Desmarest, 1804) 142 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS Section C : — Specific names of species of which the type species of genera, the names of which are now proposed to be placed on the " Official List of Specific Names in Zoology ", are considered on taxonomic grounds to be subspecies (Note : — The original references are given below for the names cited in Col. (1) but not for those cited in Col. (2), which have already been given in Appendix 1.) Specific name proposed to be placed on the " Official List of Specific Names in Zoology " (1) alpinus, Canis, Pallas, Zoograph. ross.-asiat. [1811], 1 : 348 Nominal species subjectively regarded by specialists as a subspecies of the species cited in Col. (1) (2) Cuon primaevus Hodgson, 1838 (type species of Cuon Hodg- son, 1838) cinerea, Lutra, lUiger, [1815], Amblonyx concolor Rafinesque, Abk. preuss. Wiss., Berlin 1832 (type species of Am- 1804—1811 : 90 blonyx Rafinesque, 1832) jubata, Felis, Schreber, [1776], Felis venatica Griffith, 1821, Die Sdugthiere 3 : pi. 105 ; a senior synonym of Aci- id., [1777], ibid. 3 : 392 nonyx venator Brookes, 1828 (type species of Acinonyx Brookes, 1828) * By an unfortunate error of compilation at the time when the present Appendix was prepared on the basis of the particulars given in Appendix 6, this entry was placed in Section B instead of in Section C when on 23rd March 1955 this paper was submitted to the Commission. For the correction of this error see para- graph 5(4) of the Second Report submitted by the Secretary reproduced in paragraph 15 of Opinion 384 (p. 107 of the present volume). OPINION 384 143 APPENDIX 5 Eighteen generic names, the consideration of which it is proposed to postpone until later Reports, either because further investigations are required or because current usage can be secured only through the use of the Plenary Powers Name of genus Aonyx Lesson, 1827, Mammalog. : 157 Remarks Manuel The question of the oldest available name for the type species of this genus requires consideration. CrocutaKaup, 1828, /y/5(Oken) At present this name is a 21 : 1145 Cynictis Ogilby, 1833, Proc. zooL Soc. Lond. 1 (1833) (4) : 48 junior homonym of Crocuta Meigen, 1800 (CI. Insecta, Order Diptera). The ques- tion of the suppression of Meigen' s pamphlet of 1800 is at present under considera- tion by the Commission. The question of the oldest available name for the type species of this genus requires consideration. Hyaena Brisson, 1762, Regn. It is considered better to defer anim. (ed. 2) Lutra Brisson, 201 Meles Brisson, 168 1762 ibid. \161, ibid. : 183 action as regards these three names until the Commission considers the appUcation by the late Dr. G. H. H. Tate for a ruUng on the question of the availabiUty of new names in Brisson, 1762, Regn. anim. (ed. 2). 144 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS Genetta Oken, 1816, Lehrbuch 3 (Zool.) (2) : 1010 Grison Oken, 1816, ibid. 3(Zool.) (2) : 1000 Tayra Oken, 1816, ibid. 3 (Zool) (2) : 1001 Ictonyx Kaup, 1835, Das Thierr. 1 :352 Lutrogale Gray (J.E.), 1865, Proc. zool. Soc. Lond. 1865 : 127 It is considered better to wait until the Commission has reached a decision on the status of Oken's Lehrbuch (now being voted upon by the Commission) before decisions are taken on these names^. The position of this name is also bound up with the question of Oken's Lehrbuch, since the type species of this genus is also the type species of Zorilla Oken, 1816 (: 1000) The question of the species to be accepted as the type species of this genus requires consideration. Marputius Gray (J.E.), 1837, The position as regards this Mag. nat. Hist, (n.s.) 1 : 581 name requires further in- vestigation. Martes Pinel, 1792, Actes Soc. Hist. nat. Paris 1 : 55, 58 Mustela Linnaeus, 1758, Syst. Nat. (ed. 10) 1 : 45 The position as regards these names can be cleared up only by the use by the Commis- sion of its Plenary Powers, for present usage of the name Mustela Linnaeus is incorrect, the true type species of this genus being Mustela martes Linnaeus, which is commonly treated as the type species of Martes Pinel. Since this passage was written the International Commission has rejected Oken's Lehrbuch for nomenclatorial purposes. This decision has been embodied in Opinion All (now in the press). The question remaining to be considered is whether the three generic names here listed or any one of them should be validated by the Commission under its Plenary Powers. OPINION 384 145 Mellivora Storr, 1780, Prodr. It is not yet clear whether this Meth. Mamm. : 34 is an available name^®. Mephitis Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire The use of the Plenary Powers (E.) & Cuvier (G.F.), 1795, will be needed if the accepted Mag. encydop. 2(6) : 187 name for the type species of this genus is to be retained, for that name was not pub- hshed as a new name, being only a misspelling of another name. Potos Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire There are several Original Spel- (E.) & Cuvier (G.F.), 1795, lings for the name of the Mag. encydop. 2(6) : 187 type species of this genus, and it is not clear at present which of these spellings is the valid one under the Regies. Vulpes Oken, 1816, Lehrbuch Consideration of this name 3 (Zool.) (2) : 1033, 1034 should be postponed until a decision has been taken by the Commission on the status of Oken's Lehrbuch^^. In addition, there are several usages of this name prior to Oken which will need to be considered. Thus, the posi- tion of the name Vulpes as regards both authorship and date, requires further con- sideration. ^^ The generic name Mellivora Storr has since been investigated in the Second Report submitted by the Secretary on Dr. C. W. Stiles' AppHcation Z.N.(S.) 97. By a Vote taken on a supplementary Voting Paper numbered V.P.(O.M.)(55)21 this name has now been placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology. " See Footnote 9. 146 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS APPENDIX 6 Notes on the seventy-four generic names in the Order Carnivora (Class Mammalia) recommended by the late Dr. C. W. Stfles for admission to the " OflScial List of Generic Names in Zoology " The present Appendix contains an alphabetical Ust of the seventy-four generic names in the Order Carnivora recommended by the late Dr. C. W. Stiles for admission to the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology. In order to economise space and to avoid repetition, bibliographical particulars, including particulars regarding the type species of the genera concerned have been omitted, for the necessary particulars are given in the earUer Appendices enumerating the names now recommended for addition to the Official Lists and Official Indexes. Similarly, only the briefest notes are given in regard to the eighteen generic names, decisions on which, it is recommended, should be deferred for further examination, since it is considered better to postpone the exposition of the difficulties involved in these cases until it is possible to lay a full Report before the Commission for consideration. (1) " Ailurus " Cuvier (G.F.), 1825 arid (2) " Alopex " Kaup, 1829 2. No difficulties arise in connection with either of these names. (3) " Amblonyx " Rafinesque, 1832 3. The type species of the genus Amblonyx Rafinesque, 1832, is the nominal species Amblonyx concolor Rafinesque, 1832. The taxon represented by this nominal species is currently regarded by speciahsts as being a subspecies of the species Lutra cinerea lUiger, [1815]. In accordance with the Directive given to the OPINION 384 147 Commission by the Thirteenth International Congress of Zoology, Paris, 1948 (1950, Bull. zool. Nomencl. 4 : 268), the names concolor Rafinesque and cinerea IlUger should both now be placed on the Official List of Specific Names in Zoology. (4) " Aonyx " Lesson, 1827 4. The specific name of the type species of this genus is lalandii Lesson, 1827, as published in the combination Aonyx lalandii, but the species in question is currently known by the senior subjective synonym capensis Schinz, 1821, as published in the combination Lutra capensis. The investigations carried out in the present case have shown, however, that that name is invalid, being a junior homonym of capensis Ilhger, [1815], also published in the com- bination Lutra capensis. It is accordingly recommended that a decision should be deferred in the present case in order to permit of further examination of the issues involved. (5) " Arctictis " Temminck, 1824 5. No difficulties arise in connection with this name. (6) " Arctogalidia " Merriam, 1897 6. The name Arctogalidia Merriam was pubhshed as a nom. nov. for the name Arctogale Gray (I.E.), [1865], which is invaUd by reason of being a junior homonym of Arctogale Kaup, 1829 {Skizz. Entwickel.-Gesch. u. nat. Syst. europ. Thierwelt. : 30). The type species of Arctogalidia Merriam is Paradoxurus trivirgatus Gray (J.E.), 1832, under Rule (f) in Article 30, that species having been the type species by monotypy of Arctogale Gray. The latter name should be placed on the Official Index of Rejected and Invalid Generic Names in Zoology at the same time that the name Arctogalidia Merriam is placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology. 148 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS (7) " Atilax " Cuvier (G.F.), 1826 7. Cuvier stated that the type species of his genus Atilax was the species to which he then applied the vernacular name " Vansire ". This species did not receive a scientific name until 1829 (Regne Anim. (ed. 2) 1 : 158) when Cuvier (G.L.C.F.D.) gave it the name Herpestes paludinosus. (It may be noted that the species to which Cuvier (G.F.) apphed the name " Vansire " in 1826 is not the same species as that to which this vernacular term had previously been apphed by Buffon & Daubenton. This latter is the unidentifiable nominal species Mustela galera Schreber, [1776] {Die Sdugthiere 3 : pi. 135 ; id., [1777], ibid. 3 : 495)). (8) " Bassariscus " Coues, 1887 8. The name Bassariscus Coues was published as a nom. nov. for the name Bassaris Lichtenstein, [1830] {Abh. ph.-Kl. K. preuss. Akad. Wiss., Berhn 1827 : 11), which is invahd by reason of being a junior homonym of Bassaris Hiibner, [1819] (Samml. exot. Schmett. 2 : pi. [24]). The nominal species Bassaris astuta Lichtenstein, [1830], is the type species, by monotypy, of Bassaris Lichtenstein and therefore becomes automatically the type species also of Bassariscus Coues. (It may be noted that Coues himself designated the above species to be the type species of his Bassariscus. For the reason explained above, that species was, however, already the type species without any designation by Coues and his action in this matter was therefore not required.) The name Bassaris Lichtenstein should be placed on the Official Index of Rejected and Invalid Generic Names in Zoology at the same time that the generic name Bassariscus Coues is placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology. (9) " Bdeogale " Peters, 1850 9. In the apphcation submitted to the Commission in regard to this name, it was treated (correctly as we shall see) as having been first pubhshed by Peters in 1850 and its place of publication OPINION 384 149 was given as ''Mitth. naturf. Fr. Berlin, Nov. 19 (n.v.) ". On looking into the matter, I found that no volume of Mittheilungen had been issued in the year 1850 by the Gesellschaft Naturforschender Freunde zu Berlin and accordingly that, if the name Bdeogale Peters had, in fact, been pubHshed in 1850, pubUcation must have taken place elsewhere. 10. An examination of the literature relating to the name Bdeogale Peters shows that what actually happened was as follows. Peters returned in 1848 from Mozambique, where he had spent the years 1842 to 1848 collecting animals. Among the specimens so obtained were examples of two previously unknown mammals, for which in 1852 Peters published the names Bdeogale crassicauda and Bdeogale puisa. At various times from 1850 onwards Peters published in various serial publications both new generic names and new specific names for species which he had obtained, in anticipation of the fully documented pubhcation of those names in his main work on his collections. On 18th June 1850 Peters exhibited at a meeting of the Gesellschaft Naturforschender Freunde zu Berlin specimens of either one or both of the new species of mammal which he informed the meeting he regarded as being distinct generically from any previously described species and for which he proposed to estabUsh a new genus, for which he had selected the generic name Bdeogale. 11. From 1775 to 1839 the Gesellschaft pubUshed its own Proceedings but it discontinued this practice in the period 1839 — 1859. In those years, the Minutes of the Meetings of the Gesell- schaft were often pubUshed in the daily press, either in the Vossische Zeitung or in the Spenersche Zeitung. Often they were pubHshed in both these papers. The Minutes of thirty-four of the meetings of the Gesellschaft were never pubUshed anywhere. In the early part of the present century the version of the Minutes of the Meetings published in this way was compared with the Minute Books of the Gesellschaft. The Minutes of the Meetings held from 15th January 1839 to 20th December 1859 were at length pubUshed in a single volume in 1912. 12. The portion of the Minutes relating to the name Bdeogale reads as follows (free translation) : "Dr. Peters showed a new 150 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS genus of mammals, Bdeogale, which he had brought from Mossambique [sic]. He mentioned as a distinction that it had, like Suricata, only four toes to all feet, whereas it agreed with Herpestes in external appearance, in the anatomical structure of the intestines, in the form of the skull and in dentition ". The above Minute was published on page 25 of the issue of the Spenersche Zietung of 25th June 1850. This therefore is the reference which should be cited as the place where the name Bdeogale Peters was first published. Shortly after the publication in the Spenersche Zeitung of the Minute containing the foregoing record of Peters' communication regarding his new genus Bdeogale, the same Minute was pubhshed in the Vossische Zeitung. 13. It will be seen from the Minute of the Meeting of the Gesellschaft quoted above that the nominal genus Bdeogale Peters was estabUshed as a genus for new species of mammal taken in Mozambique which in general possessed the characters shown by the genus Herpestes but which were distinguished therefrom by the structure of the feet which resembled those seen in the genus Suricata. At that time Peters gave no indication whether one species only or more than one species of the new genus had been discovered. In 1852, however, he pubUshed descriptions of two new nominal species, each of which he referred to the genus Bdeogale. These descriptions appeared in February 1852 in Monatsb. K. preuss. Akad. Wiss., BerUn 1852 : 81. The nominal species so named were Bdeogale crassicauda Peters and Bdeogale puisa Peters. Later in the same year (1852) Peters published fuller descriptions of both these nominal species in his Naturwiss. Reise Mossambique [sic] 1 : 119, 120, pi. 27 {Bdeogale crassicauda) ; ibid. 1 : 124 pi. 28 {Bdeogale puisa). From the two nominal species named by Peters in 1852 and placed by him in the nominal genus Bdeogale Peters, 1850, Oldfield Thomas in 1882 {Proc. zool. Soc. Lond. 1882 : 81) selected Bdeogale crassicauda Peters, 1852, to be the type species. (Various authors have cited the name Bdeogale Peters as having been first published either in " 1850, S.B.Ges. nat. Freunde BerMn 1850 : (November 19) " or in " Mitth. Ges. nat. Freunde Berfin 1850 ; (November 19) ", but both these references are erroneous and must have been taken at second hand, for no Sitzberichte or Mittheilungen were published by the Society in 1850. Further, it may be noted that, even if such publications had existed and the OPINION 384 151 name Bdeogale Peters had been published in the issue of 19th November 1850, that would still not have been the first occasion on which that name was published, for (as shown in paragraph 12 above) the name Bdeogale Peters was first published (in the Spenersche Zeitung) on 25th June 1850.) 14. It has sometimes been urged that new scientific names published in newspapers and elsewhere in the non-scientific press should be disregarded and therefore that, in a case such as the present, the name Bdeogale Peters should be treated as ranking for purposes of priority not from 25th June 1850, when Peters' short description of the nominal genus so named was pubhshed in the newspaper Spenersche Zeitung but from February 1852, the date on which Peters' paper containing this name was first pub- lished in a scientific work {Monatsb. K. preuss. Akad. Wiss., BerHn). At no time, however, have the Regies contained any provision Hmiting the definition of publication (as used in Article 25) in such a way as to exclude from its scope pubhcation in the non-scientific press. This matter was considered by the Com- mission at its Session held in Paris in July 1948 when it was agreed (Paris Session, 7th Meeting, Conclusion 15) to recommend the Congress to define the expression " divulgue dans une publication " in such a way as to make it clear, inter alia, that a name was not disqualified from consideration by reason of having been published in the non-scientific press (1950, Bull, zool. Nomencl. 4 : 217 — 220) but that a Recommandation should be added to Article 25 urging authors not to pubhsh in the non- scientific press zoological or palaeontological papers containing new names (1950, ibid. 4 : 221, Point (l)(b)). These recommenda- tions were supported by the Section on Nomenclature and on the joint recommendation of the Commission and the Section were approved by the Thirteenth Congress at its Final Plenary Session. In the light of these decisions, it is now clear beyond all possibility of dispute not only that the name Bdeogale Peters was first pubhshed in June 1850 in the Spenersche Zeitung but also that it was vahdly so pubhshed. (10) " Civettictis " Pocock, 1915 15. No difficulties arise in connection with this name. 152 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS (11) " Conepatus " Gray (J.E.), 1837 16. In the application submitted to the Commission, the specific name humboldtii Gray, 1837, was treated as a junior synonym of the specific name conepatl Gmehn, 1788. In other words, the nominal species Conepatus humboldtii Gray, 1837, and Viverra conepatl Gmehn, 1788 (in Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. (ed. 13) 1(1) :88) were subjectively identified as representing the same taxon. Prior to the submission of the present application this synonymy had been considered by Commissioner Angel Cabrera, who considered it to be incorrect. Writing on this subject, Com- missioner Cabrera stated (in litt., 25th September 1931) : " The name conepatl Gmel. has nothing to do here, being not a synonym of humboldti, which is the type of the genus ; humboldti is a Patagonian species, whereas conepatl is utterly undeterminable, but surely from Mexico or Central America ". This corres- pondence illustrates the wisdom of the decision subsequently taken by the International Congress that entries on the Official List shall be limited to entries recording objectively ascertained nomenclatorial facts and that no place shall be given in the List to subjective synonymisations. (12) " Crocuta " Kaup, 1828 17. The generic name Crocuta Kaup, 1828, is invahd, being a junior homonym of Crocuta Meigen, 1800 (Class Insecta, Order Diptera). An apphcation has been received, and is now being considered by the Commission, for the suppression under the Plenary Powers of Meigen' s Nouvelle Classification des Mouches a deux Ailes, the work in which the name Crocuta Meigen was published. In addition, a separate application has been received from the mammalogy side for the vaHdation of the name Crocuta Kaup by the suppression of the name Crocuta Meigen. As a matter of procedure, it is proposed to seek a decision in the present case by co-ordinating the foregoing applications. It is proposed that a decision on this name, as it arises on the present apphca- tion, should accordingly be deferred. OPINION 384 153 (13) " Crossarchus " Cuvier (G.F.), 1825 and (14) " Cryptoprocta " Bennett, 1833 18. No difficulties arise in connection with either of these names. (15) " Cuon " Hodgson, 1838 19. Two points need to be noted in connection with the generic name Cuon Hodgson, 1838. These are : — (a) The nominal species Cuon primaevus Hodgson, 1838, is considered by specialists to represent a taxon currently looked upon as being a subspecies of Canis alpinus Pallas, [1811]*. In these circumstances the names primaevus Hodgson and alpinus Pallas should both now be placed on the Official List of Specific Names in Zoology. (b) The name Cuon Hodgson was emended to Cyon by Agassiz in 1846. This is an InvaUd Emendation and, as such, should be placed on the Official Index of Rejected and Invalid Generic Names in Zoology at the same time that this generic name in its vaUd original spelUng Cuon Hodgson is placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology. (16) " Cynaaurus " Wagler, 1830 20. The type species of this genus is Felix jubata Schreber, [1776]. In this connection, it is necessary to note (a) that speciaUsts currently accept the taxon represented by the nominal species Felis venatica Griffith, 1821, as being a subspecies of Felix jubata Schreber ; (b) that the name Acinonyx venator This name was published in Pallas' Zoographia rosso-asiatica, a work, regarding the dates of publication of which there was doubt until the matter was settled by the Commission in its Opinion 212 (1954, Ops. Decls. int. Comm. zooL Nomencl. 4 : 15—24). 154 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS Brookes, 1828, is currently treated as a junior subjective synonym of Felis venatica Griffith ; and (c) that Acinonyx venator Brookes is^the type species of the nominal genus Acinonyx Brookes, 1828. Thus, according to current taxonomic ideas the nominal genera Cynailurus Wagler and Acinonyx Brookes are subjectively identical with one another, and the name Cynailurus Wagler, 1830, is a junior subjective synonym of Acinonyx Brookes, 1828. 21. In these circumstances it is recommended that the Com- mission should reject the application for the admission of the generic name Cynailurus Wagler to the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology but that it should place the name Acinonyx Brookes on that List. At the same time, the names jubata Schreber, [1776], and venatica Griffith, 1821 (but not its junior subjective synonym venator Brookes, 1828) should be placed on the Official List of Specific Names in Zoology. (17) " Cynictis " OgUby, 1833 22. The type species of Cynictis Ogilby is Cynictis steedmanni Ogilby, 1833, by monotypy. The name steedmanni Ogilby is not currently regarded by speciahsts as the oldest available name for the taxon to which Ogilby gave the above name. The investi- gations undertaken in the present case show, however, that the name currently appUed to this species is itself invalid by reason of being a junior homonym of an identical name. It is accordingly proposed that a decision on the present case should be deferred in order to permit of further investigation of the issues involved. (18) " Cynogale " Gray (J.E.), [1837] 23. No difficulties arise in connection with this name. (19) " Enhydra " Fleming, 1822 24. Two points need to be noted in connection with the generic name Enhydra Fleming, 1822. These are : — (a) The name Enhydra Fleming was rejected by Palmer {N. Amer. Fauna 25 : 258 — 259) on the ground that it was a junior OPINION 384 155 homonym of " Enhydris Merrem ". This contention was incorrect, for it ran counter to the definition of the expression " homonym " annexed to Article 36 of the Regies by the BerUn Congress of 1901. Those Regies were not, however, published until 1905 and were there- fore not available to Palmer when he advanced the foregoing argument. This aspect of the Regies was underlined by the Fourteenth International Congress of Zoology, Copenhagen, 1953, which inserted in Article 34 a provision that : " A generic name is not to be treated as a homonym of another such name if it differs from it in spelling by even one letter " (1953, Copenhagen Decisions zool.NomencL: 78, Decision 152), (It may be noted inciden- tally that there is no such generic name as Enhydris Merrem, There is, however, a name Enhydris Latreille, 1801 {Suite a Deterville (ed. Buffon), Rept. 4 : 200), to which Palmer's argument would have been applicable if it had been vaUdly conceived.) (b) In the application submitted in this case the type species of the genus Enhydra Fleming was cited as " Lutra marina Steller ", This name was, however, published before 1758 and therefore before the starting point of zoological nomenclature. As such, it possesses no status of avail- abiUty until " re-inforcement by adoption or acceptance" by an author writing subsequent to 1758 (see decision by the International Congress of Zoology embodying the Ruling previously given in Opinion 5 (1950, Bull. zool. NomencL 4 : 150)). In the present case it is not necessary to examine the question whether, and, if so, when the name Lutra marina acquired the status of availability in the manner described above, for the species so termed by Steller was given the name Mustela lutris by Linnaeus in 1758 and that name by reason of its date is auto- matically the oldest available name for this species. (20) " Eupleres " Doyere, 1835 25. The only point which calls for note in connection with the name Eupleres is that it was published as a new name twice in the 156 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS same year. Of the two papers concerned, the first to be published was that which appeared in the Bull. Soc. Sci. nat. France. (21) " Fennecus " Desmarest, 1804 26. The type species of this genus is Fennecus arabicus Desmarest, 1804. This nominal species is subjectively identified by speciahsts with the nominal species Canis zerda Zimmermann, 1780.^2 jn consequence, the name arabicus Desmarest, 1804, is currently treated as a junior subjective synonym of zerda Zimmermann, 1780. In these circumstances the name zerda Zimmermann and not the name arabicus Desmarest should be placed on the Official List of Specific Names in Zoology at the time when the generic name Fennecus Desmarest is placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology. (22) " GalereUa " Gray (J.E.), [1865] 27. In the application submitted to the Commission in this case, the type species was cited as " ochracea Gerrard so. gracilis Riippell ". In other words Dr. Stiles subjectively identified the taxonomic species represented by Herpestes ochraceus Gray with the taxonomic species represented by Herpestes gracilis Riippell, 1836 {Neue Wirbelth. Abyssin. (7) : 29). (The attri- bution of the specific name ochracea to " Gerrard " instead of to Gray was no doubt copied from Pahner, 1904 {Fauna N. Amer. 23 : 289) where the same erroneous attribution was made.) This synonymy of the names Herpestes ochracea Gray and Herpestes gracilis Riippell was examined and rejected by Thomas in 1928 {Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (10) 2 : 408) and again in 1929 {Proc. zool. Soc. Lond. 1929 : 108). On the first of these occasions Thomas expressed the view that the taxa represented by these ^^ Canis zerda Zimmermann, 1780, the name currently regarded as the oldest available name for the type species of the genus Fennecus Desmarest, was published in the work entitled Geographische Geschichte des Menschen. In view of the fact that in the past there has been argument regarding the status of this book and also regarding that of the earlier work by Zimmermann entitled Specimen Zoologiae geographicae, it may be useful to recall that this matter has now been the subject of consideration by the International Com- mission, which has ruled against the availabihty of the Specimen Zoologiae but in favour of the slightly later Geographische Geschichte. See Opinion 257 {Ops. Decls..int. Comm. zool. Nomencl. 5 : 231 — 244. OPINION 384 157 nominal species were not even congeneric with one another and established the new genus Myonax Thomas, 1928 {Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (10) 2 : 408) for Her pest es gracilis Riippell, which he thus removed altogether from the genus Galerella Gray. For the foregoing reasons Commissioner Angel Cabrera, when consuhed about the present application by the late Commissioner Stiles expressed the view {in litt., 21st September 1931)* that the species discussed above were not even congeneric with one another and that all reference to Herpestes gracilis Riippell should be omitted from the decision to be taken by the Commission in regard to the name Galerella Gray. 28. Towards the close of the investigation covered by the present Report, I noted that Simpson (1945, Bull. Amer. Mus. nat. Hist. 85 : 117) had synonymised Galerella Gray, [1865], with Herpestes Ilhger, 1811. It was at once evident that, if this repre- sented the general view of specialists, the name Galerella Gray ought not to be placed on the Official List ; while, if some speciahsts held that on taxonomic grounds the taxon represented by the nominal genus Galerella Gray was required as a genus or at least as a subgenus, then, for the reasons set out in the late Commissioner Stiles' apphcation, it would be desirable that the name Galerella Gray should be added to the Official List with an endorsement that it was so added for use by those workers who regarded its type species {Herpestes ochraceus Gray, 1849) as generically or subgenerically distinct from the type species {Viverra ichneumon Linnaeus, 1758) of Herpestes IlUger, 1811. The question at issue being purely taxonomic in character, I turned for advice and guidance to leading speciahsts in mammalogy. The advice so received was as follows : — (a) Advice received from Commissioner H. Boschma, Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historic, Leiden {letter dated I3th June 1947) :— Allen (1924, Bull. Amer. Mus. nat. Hist. 47 : 175) and Allen (1939, Bull. Mus. comp. Zool. 83 : 210) has Galerella as a distinct genus. . . . This argument is of sufficient strength in my opinion. ... As Herpestes and Galerella have different type species, nobody can prove that the two are symonyms or not. It seems to me advisable to place both generic names on the Official List. * See the note by Dr. Cabrera incorporated by Dr. Stiles in his original applica- tion (: 91). 158 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS (h) Advice received from Dr. W. H. H. Tate, American Museum of Natural History, New York {letter dated I3th June 1947) : — Allen (1939 : 210) recognised Galerella as a full genus. Simpson (1945) placed it in generic synonymy with Herpes tes. It may be distinct subgenerically. Dr. J. E. Hill advise me that Galerella should definitely not have a rank higher than a subgenus, this despite the fact that he gave it full generic rank in his paper (Hill & Carter, 1941, Bull. Amer. Mus. nat. Hist. 78 : 127). (c) Advice received from Dr. Philip Hershkovitz, Chicago Natural History Museum {letter dated 3rd July 1947) : — The type species of Galerella and Herpestes have never been regarded as conspecific. Allen (1939) lists Galerella as a full genus, as do, also, Hill & Carter (Mammals of Angola, 1941). Simpson (1945) hsts Herpestes " including Galerella Gray, 1864 ..." which means, according to his explanation ( : 36) that Galerella is " tentatively considered as of less than generic rank. The most probable inference is that it can be considered as a subgenus . . . ". (d) Advice received from Dr. Remington Kellogg, United States National Museum, Washington, D.C. {letter dated 9th July 1947) :— The last work on the viverrids is that of Wm. K. Gregory (1939, Proc. Amer. phil. Soc. 81(3) : 372, 377, 378). Gregory groups the herpestid genera according to adaptive trends of their dentition and skulls. In the first group he places Herpestes, Atilax, Xenogale, Ichneumia, and Bdeogale. The second group contains Calogale, Galerella, and Cynictis. Included in the third group are Helogale, Crossarchus, Mungos, and Suricata. Some at least of the recent mammalogists would not consider Galerella a synonym of Herpestes. 29. In view of the information set out in the preceding para- graph it is clear that the type species of Galerella Gray, namely Herpestes ochraceus Gray (J.E.), 1849, is regarded by some, but not by all, specialists as being congeneric with Viverra ichneumon Linnaeus, 1758, the type species of Herpestes Illiger, 1811. Accordingly, under the procedure prescribed by the International Congress of Zoology for adoption in such cases (1950, Bull. zool. Nomencl. 4 : 237, 268), the name Galerella Gray, [1865], should OPINION 384 159 be placed on the Official List with an endorsement that it is so placed for use by those specialists who consider on taxonomic grounds that Galerella Gray is distinct from Herpestes lUiger. (23) " Genetta " Oken, 1816 and (24) " Grison " Oken, 1816 30. Both these names were published in Oken's Lehrbuch der Naturgeschichte, a work, the status of which is at the present time under examination by the Commission (Hemming, 1954, Bull. zool. Nomencl. 9 : 193 — 207)^^. It is accordingly proposed that the consideration of the appHcation relating to the names Genetta Oken and Grison Oken be deferred until the situation has been cleared through a decision by the Commission on the general question of the status of the Lehrbuch. (25) " Gulo " PaUas, 1780 31. The name Gulo Pallas, 1780, has already been placed on the Official List by the RuHng given by the Commission in its Opinion 91. Accordingly, no action is called for in this case. (26) " Helarctos " Horsfield, 1825 32. The type species of this genus is Helarctos euryspilus Horsfield, 1825. This nominal species is subjectively identified by specialists with the nominal species Ursus malayanus Raffles, 1821. In consequence, the name euryspilus Horsfield, 1825, is currently treated as a junior subjective synonym of malay- anus Raffles, 1821. In these circumstances the name malayanus Raffles and not the name euryspilus Horsfield should be placed on the Official List of Specific Names in Zoology at the time when the generic name Helarctos Horsfield is placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology. ^^ The question of the status of names in Oken's Lehrbuch has since been settled by the International Commission. See Footnote 9 ( : 144). 160 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS (27) " Helictis " Gray (J.E.), 1831 and (28) " Helogale " Gray (J.E.), [1862] 33. No difficulties arise in connection with either of these names. (29) " Herpestes " Illiger, 1811 34. The following points call for note in connection with the generic name Herpestes Ilhger : — (a) This generic name was spelled Herpertes on the first page ( : 135) where it appeared but later in the same book ( : 303) this speUing was corrected to Herpestes. The latter is a Valid Emendation, having been made by the author himself in the book in which the misspelling Herpertes appeared. In consequence, the Invahd Original Spelling Herpertes should be placed on the Official Index of Rejected and Invalid Generic Names in Zoology at the same time that this generic name in the validly emended form Herpestes is placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology. (b) The generic name Herpestes Illiger was published as a nom. nov. for the name Ichneumon Lacepede, 1799, which is invahd by reason of being a junior homonym of Ichneumon Linnaeus, 1758 (Class Insecta, Order Hymenop- tera). The type species of Ichneumon Lacepede is Viverra ichneumon Linnaeus, 1758, by absolute tautonymy. By the operation on the rejected name Ichneumon Lacepede and on its substitute Herpestes IlUger of Rule (f) in Article 30, the above species is automatically the type species also of Herpestes Ilhger. (c) Under the regulations governing the Official Lists and Official Indexes the generic name Ichneumon Lacepede, 1799, should be placed on the Official Index of Rejected and Invalid Generic Names in Zoology at the same time that the name Herpestes Ilhger is placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology. OPINION 384 161 (30) " Hyaena " Brisson, 1762 35. The name Hyaena Brisson was published in the Second Edition (the first post- 1757 edition) of Brisson's Regnum Animale. The question of the availability of that work is at present under examination by the Commission, and it is accordingly proposed that the suggested addition of the name Hyaena Brisson to the Official List should be deferred until after a decision has been taken by the Commission on the question of principle involved. (31) " Ichneumia " Geoflfroy Saint-Hilaire (I.), 1837 36. The generic name Ichneumia was pubUshed by Isidore Geofifroy Saint-Hilaire twice in the year 1837, first in C.R. Acad. Sci. nat., Paris 5 : 580, and second, in Ann. Sci. nat., Paris (2) (Zool.) 8 : 251. On each occasion he pubhshed the generic name as the name of a new genus, that is, without reference to any previously pubhshed name, a point which (as will be shown later) it is important to note in view of the allegations made by later authors that Geoffroy pubhshed this generic name as a nom. nov. for Lasiopus (Geoff"roy MS.) Gervais, 1835. On both the fore- going occasions Geofifroy included three nominal species in this genus, of which one was Herpestes albicaudus Cuvier (G.L.C.F.D.), 1829 (Regne anim. (ed. 2) 1 : 158). On neither occasion did Geofifroy designate a type species for this genus. 37. On some date prior to 1835 Geofifroy delivered a series of lectures before the Academic in Paris in which it appears that he mentioned a generic name Lasiopus which at that time was a manuscript name of his own. It was not until 1839 (i.e. two years after the publication by Geoflfroy of the name Ichneumia) that Geofifroy himself referred to the name Lasiopus in a published paper. In this paper (Geofifroy, 1839, Mag. Zool. (2) 1 : 4) he wrote under the French and Latin heading " Ichneumie — Ichneumia " : " J'indiquai done, dans mes legons, V Herpestes penicillatus et VHerpestes albicaudus comme les types de deux divisions nouvelles que je fis connaitre sous les noms de Cynope, Cynopus, et de Lasiope, Lasiopus ". Later in the same paper 162 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS ( : 5) Geoffrey added : " J'ai laisse de cote le nom provisoire de Lasiope pour le substituer celui d'Ichneumie ". We see from the foregoing (1) that, although Geofifroy did not pubhsh the name Ichneumia as a substitute name for Lasiopus (and therefore that no action by him in relation to Lasiopus only could have any bearing on the type species of Ichneumia) the name Ichneumia was from Geoflfroy's point of view a substitute name for Lasiopus ; (2) that in his lectures Geoffroy had indicated Herpestes albicaudus Cuvier, 1829, as the type species of a genus for which at that time no name had been published but to which he referred in his lectures under the manuscript name Lasiopus ; (3) that in the paper pubUshed in 1839 Geofifroy (a) referred in print for the first time to his manuscript name Lasiopus, (b) stated that he had indicated Herpestes albicaudus Cuvier as the type species of that genus, and (c) that he had pubHshed (in 1837) the name Ichneumia in place of the " nom provisoire " Lasiopus. These three statements in Geoflfroy's paper of 1839 constitute a definite selection by him of Herpestes albicaudus Cuvier, 1825, as the type species of the nominal genus Ichneumia Geofifroy, 1837, and, as that species was one of the species included in the nominal genus Ichneumia Geofifroy at the time when that generic name was first pubHshed, this selection complies with the require- ments of Rule (g) in Article 30 and, being the first type selection made for this genus, is the selection which determines its type species. 38. In view of the important (and, in part, confusing) role which the generic name Lasiopus plays in the present case, it is desirable to add the following supplementary note about that name. We have seen that on some date prior to 1835 Geofifroy (by his own evidence as provided in his paper of 1839) mentioned a generic name Lasiopus in a lecture, at the same time stating that Herpestes albicaudus Cuvier, 1829, was the type species of the nominal genus so named. So long as the name Lasiopus remained in this manuscript condition, it possessed no status under the Regies and accordingly, so far as concerns Geofifroy as an author, it was not until the pubUcation of his paper in 1839, that the generic name Lasiopus acquired any availability under the Regies. No description or definition was then given by Geofifroy for this genus, but, as in then publishing it for the first time, he expressly OPINION 384 16,3 stated that it was identical with his Ichneumia (of 1837) and that its type species was Herpestes albicaudus Cuvier, 1829, the naiiie Lasiopus ranks, so far as Geoffroy is concerned, from 1839 and is an objective synonym of Ichneumia Geoffroy, 1837, each of the two nominal genera so named having the same nominal species as its type species. As so often happens when an author is so unwise as to give circulation to a manuscript name, another author published the name Lasiopus in the period between the time when Geoffroy used the name in his lecture (i.e. some time prior to 1835 or at latest early in that year) and the date of pubUca- tion in 1839 of GeoflFroy's lecture. The author concerned was Gervais who mentioned this name in a publication in which he gave an account of the lectures delivered by Geoffroy in Paris (Gervais, 1835, Resume des Legons de Mammalogie, Paris : 37). Gervais gave a few words by way of indication and placed in this nominal genus one species only, which is therefore the type species by monotypy. He did not cite this species under a binominal name, referring to it only as " I'animal du Cap nomme mangouste a pinceau blanc ". This species was identified by Allen (1939, Bull. Mus. comp. Zool. 83 : 217) as Herpestes albicaudus Cuvier, 1829, but this view did not win universal acceptance, for Dr. W. H. H. Tate (American Museum of Natural History, New York), whom I consulted regarding this case, expressed the view {in litt. 16th March 1946) that Allen's deter- mination of the " Mangouste a pinceau blanc " was erroneous and that the species referred to under this French vernacular name was not Herpestes albicaudus Cuvier but Herpestes penicilla- tus Cuvier, i.e. the species now subjectively identified with the type species of the genus Cynictis Ogilby, 1833 (see paragraph 22 of the present paper). Fortunately, it is not necessary to enter into the taxonomic question involved in determining the identity of the taxonomic species which is the type species of the nominal genus Lasiopus Gervais, 1835 (a matter on which it would be necessary to canvass the views of interested specialists), for the generic name Lasiopus Gervais, 1835, as also the name Lasiopus Geoffroy, 1839, is an invalid junior homonym of the earlier name Lfl5Z(?/?M5' Schoenherr, 1823 (Peric. Entom. (3) : 35) (Class Insecta, Order Coleoptera). In view of the fact that these invalid names have had to be considered in a case submitted to the Commission, they should now be entered on the Official Index of Rejected and Invalid Generic Names in Zoology at the 164 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS same time that the generic name Ichneumia Geoffrey, 1837, is placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology. (32) " Icticyon " Lund, 1842 39. Three points arise in connection with the name Icticyon Lund, 1842. The first and second of these are of a purely nomen- clatorial character, the third, in part, taxonomic also. The first two points are as follows : — (a) The name Icticyon was pubhshed as a nom. nov. for Cynogale Lund, 1842, which is invalid by reason of being a jimior homonym of Cynogale Gray (J.E.), [1837]. The type species of Cynogale Lund is, by monotypy, the species which later in the same year (1842) Lund named Icticyon venaticus. By the operation on the rejected name Cynogale Lund and on the substitute name Icticyon Lund of Rule (f) in Article 30, the foregoing species is automatically the type species also of Icticyon Lund. (b) Under the regulations governing the Official Lists and Official Indexes the name Cynogale Lund, 1842, should be placed on the Official Index of Rejected and Invalid Generic Names in Zoology at the same time that the name Icticyon Lund, 1842, is placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology. 40. The third point is concerned with the taxonomic status of Ictiycon Lund. In the investigations undertaken in connection with the present apphcation it was noted that in 1945 (i.e. long after the submission of Dr. Stiles' proposals) Simpson (Bull. Amer. Mus. nat. Hist. 85 : 110) had treated Icticyon venaticus Lund, 1842, the type species of Icticyon Lund, 1842, as being congeneric with the Fossil species Speothos pacivorus Lund, 1839, the type species of the genus Speothos Lund, 1839. In other words Simpson had sunk the name Icticyon Lund as a junior subjective synonym of Speothos Lund. This treatment OPINION 384 165 of the taxon Icticyon Lund led to consultations, the results of which are set out below : — (a) Advice received from Commissioner H. Boschma, Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie, Leiden {letter dated 13 th June 1947) : — The answer to this question is already given by Simpson (1945 : 1 10) who regards Icticyon as a synonym of Speothos, but remarks in a footnote : " Many authors continue to use Icticyon for the hving forms ". As Speothos and Icticyon have different type species, no proof can be furnished that the two are synonyms or not. The safe procedure seems to me inclusion of both names in the Official List. (b) Advice received from Dr. W. H. H. Tate, American Museum of Natural History, New York {letter dated 13 th June 1947) : — J. A, Allen (1914 : 147) merely stated that Speothos and Icticyon must remain separate until pacivorus and venaticus were proved to be congeneric. Miller (1924 : 155) ignored Speothos. I know of no actual report of comparison of pacivorus with venaticus. The assumption seems to have grown up during the years that Icticyon equals Speothos. Kraghevich (1930, Physis, Buenos Aires, 10) treated only Speothos. The two names may, however, represent separate subgenera which are yet congeneric, . . . My own guess is that Speothos will finally supercede Icticyon generically unless the latter is made a conserved name. (c) Advice received from Dr. Philip Hershkovitz, Chicago Natural History Museum {letter dated 3rd July 1947) : — The type species of Icticyon and Speothos have never been shown definitely to be conspecific (cf. J. A. Allen, 1914, Proc. biol. Soc. Wash. 27 : 147). Until recently, Icticyon was the more commonly used name. However, Speothos is now replacing it. This is the name, with Icticyon a synonym, used by Dr. Osgood in his unpublished check list of South American mammals. (d) Advice receivedfrom Dr. Remington Kellogg, United States National Museum, Washington, D.C. {letter dated 9th July 1947) : — Speothos Lund, Blik. Bras. Dyrev., vol. 2, 1839, p. 33 ; vol. 3, 1840, p. 18 and vol. 5, 1843, was first revived for the Brazilian bush dog by Hermann von Ihering, 1911, Revista 166 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS Mus. Paulista, vol. 8, p. 219. The genus was based on fossil material. No one has as yet shown that the living representa- tive is generically distinct from the fossil Speothos. 41. It appears from the advice received by specialists set forth in the preceding paragraph that the general tendency among mammalogists in recent years has been to treat the name Icticyon Lund, 1842, as a synonym of the name Speothos Lund, 1839, or at most to regard it as representing a taxon only subgenerically distinct from the genus Speothus Lund. On the other hand, it does not appear that a critical comparison has been made of the two genera and that no evidence, as conclusive as is possible in a subjective taxonomic matter of this kind, has been adduced to show that Icticyon Lund should be treated as a synonym of Speothos Lund. In these circumstances, and having regard to the important Public Health considerations advanced by Dr. Stiles when submitting the present application, it is desirable that the nomenclatorial status of Icticyon Lund should now be defined as closely as the taxonomic considerations involved permit. Accordingly, it appears that in accordance with the General Directive given to the Commission by the International Congress of Zoology for adoption in such cases, the best course will be to place the name Speothos Lund, 1839, on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology, there being general agreement as to the status of this taxon, and at the same time that this is done, to place the name Icticyon Lund on the Official List with an endorsement that it is so placed for use by specialists who consider on taxonomic grounds that Icticyon Lund, 1842, is distinct from Speothos Lund, 1839. (33) " Ictonyx " Kaup, 1835 42. Thp position of the name Ictonyx Kaup, 1835, is bound up with the problem of the status to be accorded to names pubUshed in Oken's Lehrbuch der Naturgeschischte, for the type species of this genus (Viverra zorilla Erxleben, 1777) is the type species also of the nominal genus Zorilla Oken, 1816, a name published in the foregoing work. It is accordingly pro- posed for the reasons already explained in connection with the OPINION 384 167 names Genetta Oken and Grison Oken (paragraph 30 above) that a decision should be deferred for the present on the question of the admission of the name Ictonyx Kaup to the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology. (34) " Leucomitra " Howell, 1901 43. The only question which calls for consideration in con- nection with the name Leucomitra Howell is whether it represents a taxonomically valid unit. On this question a special investiga- tion was undertaken when it was seen that in 1945 Simpson in his comprehensive survey of the group {Bull. Amer. Mus. nat. Hist. vol. 85) did not recognise the taxon Leucomitra. The consultation with specialists then initiated elicited the following advice : — (a) Advice received from Commissioner H. Boschma, Rijksmuseum van Natmirlijke Historie, Leiden {letter dated I3th June 1947) : — Leucomitra Howell, 1901, is used by Miller (1923, Bull. U.S. nat. Mus. 128 : 139) as the name of a subgenus of Mephitis Geoffrey & Cuvier. As the name has thus been used by one of the foremost mammalogists as recently as 1923, there must be some reason to regard Leucomitra as a separate subgenus. (b) Advice received from Dr. G. H. H. Tate, American Museum of Natural History, New York {letter dated I3th June 1947) : — Miller (1924 : 139) treats this as a subgenus of Mephitis. I have looked at Mephitis macroura and regard it as only specifically valid. Leucomitra is not in common use. (c) Advice received from Dr. Philip Hershkovitz, Chicago Natural History Museum {letter dated 3rd July 1947) : — Leucomitra Howell, 1901 : Name proposed as a subgenus of Chincha Lesson, 1842 {= Mephitis Geoflfroy & Cuvier, 1795). Currently recognised, though little used, as a vahd subgenus of Mephitis. Name is omitted by Simpson as he states ( : 36, second column) that in his classification " it is impractical ... to Ust groups smaller than genera ". 168 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS (d) Advice received from Dr. Remington Kellogg, United States National Museum, Washington, D.C. {letter dated 9th July 1947) :— Leucomitra is currently recognised as a subgenus of Mephitis. The hooded skunks were accorded subgeneric rank by Howell on the basis of cranial and external characters. 44. In the light of the information set out in the preceding paragraph it is evident that the taxon represented by Leucomitra Howell, 1901, is regarded by some, but not by all, specialists as being identical with that represented by Mephitis Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (E.) & Cuvier (G.F.), 1795. In these circumstances the proper course in the present case will be to place the generic name Leucomitra Howell, 1901, on the Ojficial List with an endorsement that it is so placed for use by those specialists who consider on taxonomic grounds that Leucomitra Howell is distinct from Mephitis Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (E.) & Cuvier (G.F.), 1795. Normally, it would be appropriate at the same time to place this latter name also on the Ojficial List and it was indeed part of Dr. Stiles' application that this should be done. It will be seen, however, from paragraph 55 below that certain nomenclatorial difficulties which have been encountered make it desirable to postpone temporarily the addition of the name Mephitis to the Official List. (35) " Lutra " Brisson, 1762 45. For the reasons already explained in connection with the name Hyaena Brisson, 1762 (paragraph 35 above) it is proposed that a decision on the question of the admission of the name Lutra Brisson, 1762, to the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology should be postponed for further consideration. (36) " Lutreola " Wagner, 1841 46. The only point which calls for consideration in connection with the generic name Lutreola Wagner, 1841, is the taxonomic status of the unit so named. The investigation of this question OPINION 384 169 was prompted by the fact that in 1945 (i.e. long after the sub- mission of Dr. Stiles' application) Simpson {Bull. Amer. Mus. nat. Hist. 85 : 113) treated Lutreola Wagner as a junior synonym of Mus tela Linnaeus, 1758 ; in other words, Simpson treated Viverra lutreola Linnaeus, 1758, the type species of Lutreola Wagner, as being congeneric with Mustela erminea Linnaeus, 1758, the species which was then, and still is now, though incorrectly, regarded as the type species of Mustela Linnaeus.* Simpson's treatment of Lutreola Wagner led to consultations, the results of which are set out below : — (a) Advice received from Commissioner H. Boschma, Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historic, Leiden {letter dated I3th June 1947) : — Lutreola Wagner is regarded by recent authors as a sub- genus of Mustela. (Cf, e.g., Brongersma & Junge (1942, Zool. Meded., Leiden 23 : 149). I do not agree with your statement that Simpson (1945) treats Lutreola as a synonym of Mustela. Simpson includes Lutreola in Mustela, but this may mean that he includes the subgenus Lutreola in the genus Mustela. (b) Advice received from Dr. G. H. H. Tate, American Museum of Natural History, New York {letter dated 13 th June 1947) : — Miller (1912, Cat. Mamm. West. Europe : 415 ; id., 1924, Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus. 128 : 124) treats this as a subgenus of Mustela. The name is perhaps rather more commonly used than are many other subgeneric names but should never be employed generically. (c) Advice received from Dr. Philip Hershkovitz, Chicago Natural History Museum {letter dated 3rd July 1947) : — Lutreola Wagner, 1841 : All authors making use of sub- generic names recognise Lutreola as a subgenus of Mustela. Simpson indicates the status of Lutreola in the same way as that of Galerella, viz., as a subgenus. (d) Advice received from Dr. Remington Kellogg, United States National Museum, Washington, D.C. {letter dated 9th July 1947) :— Lutreola Wagner, 1841 : The American minks were revised by HolHster (1912, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. 44 : 471^80). * For a further note on Mustela Linnaeus, 1758, see paragraph 58 below. 170 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS Lutreola was considered to be a valid genus by S. I. Ognev (1931, The Mammals of Eastern Europe and Northern Asia 2 : 747, 749) and also by other Russian mammalogists. Characters of the baculum in part were the basis for its recog- nition as a genus. Currently recognised by American mam- malogists as a subgenus of Mustela Linnaeus, 1758. 47. From the information set out above, it is clear that, while some specialists identify Lutreola Wagner with Mustela Linnaeus, others regard Wagner's Lutreola as representing a taxonomically valid genus or at least a taxonomically vahd subgenus. In these circumstances the proper course in the present case will be to place the name Lutreola Wagner, 1841, on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology with an endorsement that it is so placed for use by those specialists who consider on taxonomic grounds that Lutreola Wagner is distinct from Mustela Linnaeus, 1758. (37) " Lutrogale " Gray (J.E.), 1865 48. The investigations undertaken in this case indicate that there is some doubt as to the identity of the type species of this genus. It is accordingly recommended that a decision on the question of the admission of the generic name Lutrogale Gray, 1865, to the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology should be deferred until the above question has been cleared up. (38) " Lycaon " Brookes, 1827 49. The type species of this genus is Lycaon tricolor Brookes, 1827. This nominal species is subjectively identified by speciahsts with the nominal species Hyaena picta Temminck, 1820. In consequence, the name tricolor Brookes, 1827, is currently treated as a junior subjective sjoionym of picta Temminck, 1820. In these circumstances the name picta Temminck and not the name tricolor Brookes should be placed on the Official List of Specific Names in Zoology at the time when the generic name Lycaon Brookes is placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology. OPINION 384 171 (39) " Marputius " Gray (J.E.), 1837 50. Two questions call for examination in connection with the name Marputius Gray, 1837. The first, which is purely nomen- clatorial, is concerned with the original reference for the name of the type species of this taxon, the second, with the taxonomic status of the taxon to which Gray gave this name. The investi- gations undertaken in this case have resolved the difficulties in regard to the first of these points. The second point requires further examination before the name Marputius Gray can appro- priately be placed on the Ojficial List. It is accordingly recom- mended that a decision on the foregoing question be deferred for the purpose of permitting a further study of the issues involved. (40) " Martes " Pinel, 1792 51. Two difficulties arise in connection with the name Martes Pinel, 1792. First, there is not agreement as to the species which under the Regies should be regarded as being the type species of this genus. Second, the nominal species Mustela martes Linnaeus, 1758, which is commonly accepted as being the type species of this genus appears also to be the type species of Mustela Linnaeus, 1758, although it is not currently accepted as such.* In these circumstances it is recommended that a decision on the proposal to place the name Martes Pinel, 1792, on the Official List should be deferred until it is possible for the Commission to consider in detail the issues involved in this case. (41) " Meles " Brisson, 1762 52. As in the case of the name Hyaena Brisson, 1762 (paragraph 35 above), it is recommended that a decision on the admission of the name Meles Brisson, 1762, to the Official List should be deferred until a decision has been reached on the question of the availabihty of the work (the Second Edition of the Regnum animale) in which that name was pubhshed. * For a further note on Mustela Linnaeus, 1758, see paragraph 58 below. 172 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS (42) " Mellivora " Storr, 1780 53. This name was used by Storr in the text of his book only in the nominative plural. As such, it did not acquire the status of availabihty. It is possible, however, that it was pubUshed in the nominative singular on the tables at the end of Storr's book. These tables are often lacking in copies of this author's Prodromus, and I have so far been unable to consult a copy containing them. Accordingly, I recommend that a decision on the question of the admission of the name Mellivora Storr, 1780, to the Official List should be deferred until it has been found possible to examine Storr's tables.i* (43) " Melursus " Mayer, 1793 54. The type species of this genus is Melursus lybius Meyer, 1793. This nominal species is subjectively identified by specialists with Bradypus ur sinus Shaw, 1791. In consequence, the name lybius Meyer is treated as a junior subjective synonym of ursinus Shaw, 1791. In these circumstances the name ursinus Shaw and not the name lybius Meyer should be placed on the Official List of Specific Names in Zoology at the time when the name Melursus Meyer, 1793, is placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology. (44) "Mephitis" Geoflfroy Saint-Hilaire (E.) & Cmler (G.F.), 1795 55. A difficulty arises in the present case from the fact that the species which is the type species of this genus is currently known by a specific name (mephitis) which is attributed to Schreber but which was in fact never pubHshed as a new name by that author, who merely misapplied to the species concerned this misspelled version of the specific name memphitis Linnaeus, ^* The further investigation in regard to the name Mellivora Storr has since been undertaken in the Second Report by the Secretary on Dr. C. W. StUes' AppUca- tion Z.N.(S.) 97 and as a result this generic name has now been placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology. The Report referred to above has been reproduced in paragraph 15 of Opinion 384 (p. 105 of the present volume). OPINION 384 173 1758, as published in the combination Viverra memphitis. Accordingly, it will be necessary for the Commission to use its Plenary Powers if the name mephitis is to be retained for the Chinche. It is recommended that a decision on the applica- tion to place the generic name Mephitis Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire &- Cuvier, 1795, on the Official List be deferred until the whole of the relevant facts in this case can be laid before the Commission. (45) " Micraonyx " Allen, 1919 56. The type species of this genus, Lutra leptonyx Horsfield, 1823, is currently identified with Lutra cinerea Ilhget, [1815]. Another nominal species which is also so identified is Amblonyx concolor Rafinesque, 1832, the type species of Amblonyx Rafinesque, 1832. Thus, the nominal genera Micraonyx Allen, 1919, and Amblonyx Rafinesque, 1832, are subjectively identified with one another by speciahsts who accordingly treat Micraonyx Allen as a junior subjective synonym of Amblonyx Rafinesque. Both these generic names were recommended by Dr. Stiles for admission to the Official List. In view of the facts set out above, it is proposed that the application in regard to the name Amblonyx Rafinesque be granted but that that in regard to Micraonyx Allen be rejected. (46) " Mungos " Geoffroy Saint-Haaire (E.) & Cuvier (G.F.), 1795 57. The only point calling for note in this case is that m 1819 Muirhead emended the generic name Mungos to Mungo. This emendation was not justified under the Regies, and it is accordingly recommended that the Invahd Emendation Mungo Muirhead, [1819], be placed on the Official Index of Rejected and Invalid Generic Names in Zoology at the same time that the Valid Original Spelling Mungos Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire & Cuvier, 1795, is placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology. 174 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS (47) " Mustela " Linnaeus, 1758 58. Thomas (1911) selected Mustela erminea Linnaeus, 1758, to be the type species of this genus and it was this species which in the present application Dr. Stiles recommended should be accepted as the type species of Mustela. This appears to be the species currently accepted as the type species of this genus. Thomas's action was, however, anticipated in 1901 by Miller & Rehn and again in 1904 by Palmer, who both selected Mustela martes Linnaeus, 1758, to be the type species of Mustela Linnaeus. Since that species is currently accepted as the type species of Martes Pinel, 1792, the effect of the action by Miller & Rehn, unless suppressed by the Commission under its Plenary Powers, would be (a) to deprive the genus now known as Mustela Linnaeus of its customary name and (b) to transfer the name Mustela to the genus currently known as Martes Pinel. In these circumstances, it is recommended that, as in the case of the name Martes Pinel (paragraph 5 1 above), no decision should be taken on the proposal for the admission of the name Mustela Linnaeus to the Ojficial List until the Commission has had an opportunity to examine the problem outlined above. (48) " Mydaus " Cuvier (G.F.), 1821 and (49) " Nandinia " Gray (J.E.), 1843 59. No dijSiculties arise in connection with either of these names. (50) " Nasua " Storr, 1780 60. The name Nasua Storr, 1780, has already been placed on the Official List by the Ruling given by the Commission in Opinion 91. Accordingly, no action is called for in this case. (51) " Oryctogale " Merriam, 1902 61. The only question which calls for consideration in con- nection with the generic name Oryctogale Merriam, 1902, is the OPINION 384 175 taxonomic status of the unit so named. The investigation of this problem was undertaken when it was noted that Simpson (1945, Bull. Amer. Mus. nat. Hist. vol. 85) did not recognise Oryctogale Merriam as a valid genus. The following are the results of the consultations then undertaken : — (a) Advice received from Commissioner H. Boschma, Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie, Leiden (letter dated I3th June 1947) : — Oryctogale Merriam is treated as a subgenus of Conepatus Gray by Miller (1923, Bull. U.S. nat. Mus. 128 : 140). Similar case as that of Leucomitra.* (b) Advice received from Dr. G. H. H. Tate, American Museum of Natural History, New York {letter dated I3th June 1947) : — Orcyctogale Merriam, 1902. Simpson omits. Miller (1924 : 140) treats as a subgenus of Conepatus. I have looked at Conepatus leuconota and regard it as only specifically distinct. Orcytogale is not in common use. (c) Advice received from Dr. Philip Hershkowitz, Chicago Natural History Museum (letter dated 3rd July 1947) : — Proposed as a subgenus of Conepatus and currently recog- nised as such. As noted before, Simpson omits names originally proposed, or generally recognised, as subgenera. (d) Advice received from Dr. Remington Kellogg, United States National Museum, Washington, D.C. (letter dated 9th July 1947) :— The hog-nosed skunks of Southern United States, Mexico, and Central America, are currently placed in the subgenus Oryctogale. The subgenus Oryctogale Merriam was based on external and cranial characters. No revision of the South and North American Conepatus has been prepared in recent years. Consequently no opinion is offered regarding the subgenus Oryctogale. Oryctogale is regarded as a subgenus of Conepatus at the present time. 62. In the light of the information set out in the preceding paragraph, it appears that the appropriate course to adopt in this case will be for the Commission to place the name Oryctogale * See paragraph 43(a) of the present Report. 176 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS Merriam, 1902, on the Official List with an endorsement that it is so placed for use by specialists who consider on taxonomic grounds that Oryctogale Merriam is distinct from Conepatus Gray (J.E.), 1837. It will be recalled (paragraph 16 above) that it is also now recommended that the name Conepatus Gray should be placed on the Official List. (52) " Otocyon " MuUer (J.), 1836 63. Two questions arise in connection with this name. The first, which is purely nomenclatorial, is concerned with the circumstances in which the name of this genus and of its type species were published. The second is concerned with the taxonomic status of the nominal species which is its type species. These questions are examined in turn below. 64. The name Otocyon v^SiS published in a paper by Johannes Miiller in the Jahresbericht der Fortschrifte anatom.-physiol. Wissensch. im Jahre 1835. This Jahresbericht was not published as a separate unit but was published in the Archivf. Anat. Physiol, u. Wissensch. Medicin Jahre 1836. It is therefore in this latter serial that the name Otocyon must be treated as having been first published. This Archiv was pubUshed without a serial volume number and it is necessary therefore to refer to it by the number of the year to which it relates. Two sets of numerals were used for numbering the pages of this volume, arable numerals being used for the portion containing original articles, while Roman numerals were used for the portion devoted to the Jahresbericht. The name Otocyon was pubhshed on page /. 65. In order to understand properly the circumstances in which the genus Otocyon Miiller was first estabHshed, it is necessary to examine the exact manner in which that name and also the name of its type species were first published. The following is a free translation of the passage in question : — I will not let this opportunity pass without mentioning that the Konigliche Museum possesses the hitherto unknown skull of Canis OPINION 384 177 megalotis lalandii. The dentition of this remarkable animal was previously unknown and its classification with Canis therefore doubtful. It does not belong there. It forms a separate genus, whereas Canis cerda really is a dog. [Here follows a description of the dentition and the skull.] The generic name, according to the Zoological Museum, is Otocyon {cajfer). For further information I must refer to an expected publication by Herr Lichtenstein. Proteles lalandii, according to our three skulls, has above, 3, below, 2 false molars. . . . Otocyon and Proteles form evidently each a separate genus of the Digitigrades. 66. It is evident from the foregoing passage that Miiller obtained both the generic name Otocyon and the specific name cajfer from the Konigliche Museum and that both of these were manuscript names proposed by Lichtenstein but at that time unpublished. (Under a decision by the Thirteenth International Congress of Zoology, Paris, 1948, manuscript names published in this way are attributable to the author by whom they were pubhshed and not to the author by whom they were proposed in manuscript (1950, Bull, zoo I. Nomencl. 4 : 259 — ^260). The names here under discussion are accordingly attributable to Miiller and not to Lichtenstein.) The genus Otocyon was clearly monotypical from Miiller's standpoint, and, even if this had not been so, the genus Otocyon would still have been monotypical from the nomenclatorial point of view because Miiller cited only one included species (1950, Bull. zool. Nomencl. 4 : 153). 67. The type species of the genus Otocyon Miiller, 1836, is Otocyon caffer Miiller, 1836, by monotypy. This nominal species is subjectively identified by specialists with Canis megalotis Desmarest, 1822. In consequence, the name cajfer Miiller is treated as a junior subjective S5aionym of megalotis Desmarest, 1822. In these circumstances, the name megalotis Desmarest, and not the name caffer Muller should be placed on the Ojficial List of Specific Names in Zoology at the time when the generic name Otocyon Miiller, 1836, is placed on the Ojficial List of Generic Names in Zoology. (53) " Paracynictis " Pocock, 1916 68. The only question which calls for consideration in con- nection with the generic name Paracynictis Pocock, 1916, is the 178 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS taxonomic status of the unit so named. The investigation of this question was undertaken when it was noted that Simpson (1945, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 85 : 117) had treated the name Paracynictis Pocock as a junior subjective synonym of Cynictis Ogilby, 1833. The following are the results of the consultations then undertaken : — (a) Advice received from Commissioner H. Boschma, Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historic, Leiden {letter dated I3th June 1947) : — Paracynictis Pocock is treated as a distinct genus by Allen (1939, Bull. Mus. comp. Zool. 83 : 226). Simpson (1945 : 117) includes it in Cynictis Ogilby. Similar case as that of Galerella.* (b) Advice received from Dr. G. H. H. Tate, American Museum of Natural History, New York {letter dated I3th June 1947) : — Paracynictis Pocock, 1916 : Recognised as full monotypic genus by Allen (1919 : 226). I have talked with Dr. J. E. Hill personally on the status of this group. He feels (Hill and Carter, 1941 : 131) that the difference in the digital formula is adequate for the maintenance of full generic separation. (c) Advice received from Dr. Philip Hershkowitz, Chicago Natural History Museum {letter dated 3rd July 1947) : — " Paracynictis Pocock, 1916 and Cynictis Ogilby, 1833. Both genera are recognised by G. M. Allen and by Hill and Carter. Simpson indicates the status of Paracynictis as a subgenus of Cynictis. (d) Advice received from Dr. Remington Kellogg, United States National Museum, Washington, D.C. {letter dated 9th July 1947) :— Paracynictis Pocock, 1916, Type, Cynictis selousi de Winton. This genus was based on the suppression of digit 1 of the fore- foot. This genus is not listed by Wm. K. Gregory, 1939, Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc, vol. 81, no. 3, August 31, 1939, p. 372. Conservative mammalogists will probably consider Para- cynictis to be a synonym of Cynictis. Those that attach weight to the reduction of the number of digits will recognise Paracynictis as a genus For Dr. Boschma's comment on the name Galerella Gray (J.E.), [1865], see paragraph 28 above [i.e. in the present Appendix]. OPINION 384 179 69. From the information set out above it is clear that, while some speciaUsts identify Paracynictis with Cynictis, others regard it as a vaHd genus or at least as a vaHd subgenus of Cynictis. In these circumstances the proper course in the present case will be to place the name Paracynictis Pocock, 1916, on the Official List with an endorsement that it is so placed for use by those specialists who consider on taxonomic grounds that Paracynictis Pocock is distinct from Cynictis Ogilby, 1833. (54) " Paradoxurus " Cuvier (G.F.), 1821 70. The type species of this genus is Paradoxurus typus Cuvier (G.F.), 1821. This nominal species is subjectively identified by SpeciaUsts both at the species-level and at the subspecies-level with the nominal species Viverra hermaphroditus Pallas, [1777]. In consequence, the name typus Cuvier, 1821, is currently treated as a junior subjective synonym of hermaphroditus Pallas, [1777]. In these circumstances the name hermaphroditus Pallas and not the name typus Cuvier should be placed on the Official List of Specific Names in Zoology at the time when the generic name Paradoxurus Cuvier is placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology. (55) " Poecilogale " Thomas (M.R.O.), 1885 71. No difficulties arise in connection with this name. (56) " Poiana " Gray (J.E.), [1865] 72. Gray did not designate a type species for this nominal genus, but he placed in it only the nominal species Genetta richardsonii Thomson (T.R.H.), 1842, which is therefore the type species by monotypy. The application submitted to the Com- mission in regard to this case stated as regards the type species of this genus : " mt. richardsoni Gerrard so. (tsd. 1904) poensis Waterhouse, from Gernando Po ". This suggested synonymy had many years earlier been discussed and rejected by Pocock ([1908], Proc. zool. Soc. Lond. 1907 (Pt. 2) : 1039). It was con- sidered again in connection with the present application by 180 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS Commissioner Angel Cabrera who furnished the following note {in litt., 25th September 1931) : " The name poensis Waterh. has nothing to do with this. Genetta poensis Waterh. is a true Genetta, and not a synonym of Poiana richardsoni (Thomson), as wrongly stated by Palmer ", The name Genetta poensis Water- house, 1838 {Proc. zool. Soc. Lond. 6(65) : 59) is considerably older than Genetta richardsonii Thomson, 1842, and accordingly, if specialists had agreed that each of these two nominal species represented the same taxonomic species, the specific name poensis Waterhouse, 1838, as pubUshed in the combination Genetta poensis, would, from the subjective taxonomic point of view, have been the oldest available specific name applicable to the taxonomic species concerned. In view, however, of the fact that, as it now appears, speciaHsts no longer treat these two nominal species as representing the same taxonomic species, the question calls for no further comment here. (57) " Potos " Geoifroy Saint-IBlaire (E.) & Cuvier (G.F.), 1795 73, There are several Original SpelUngs for the name of the type species of this genus, and it is not clear at present which of these spellings should, under the Regies, be accepted as the Vahd Original SpelUng. It is accordingly proposed that a decision on the question of the admission of the foregoing generic name to the Official List be deferred until the above matter has been cleared up. (58) " Procyon " Storr, 1780 74. The name Procyon Storr, 1780, has already been placed on the Official List by the Ruhng given by the Commission in Opinion 91. Accordingly, no action is called for in this case. (59) " Proteles " GeoflFroy Saint-Hilaire (I.), 1824 75. Two points call for comment in the present case. The first is concerned with a purely nomenclatorial question, the OPINION 384 181 second, with the taxonomic status of the type species of this genus. These points are as follows : — (a) The name Proteles was pubUshed as a new name in two papers by Geoffroy, each of which was pubHshed in 1824. The earlier of these papers is that which appeared in the Bull. Sci. Soc. philomat. Paris in its issue of September 1824. (b) The type species of this genus is Proteles lalandii Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1824. This nominal species is sub- jectively identified by speciaUsts with the nominal species Viverra cristata Sparrman, 1783. In consequence, the name lalandii Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire is currently treated as a junior subjective synonym of cristata Sparrman, 1783. In these circumstances, the name cristata Sparr- man, 1783, and not the name lalandii Geoffroy should be placed on the Official List of Specific Names in Zoology at the time when the generic name Proteles Geoffroy is placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology. (60) " Pteronura " Gray (J.E.), 1837 76. The type species of this genus is Pteronura sambachii Gray (J.E.), 1837, by monotypy. In the application now under consideration Dr. Stiles treated the specific name sambachii Gray, 1837, as a junior synonym of " brasiliensis Zimm., 1780 ". The work here referred to is Zimmermann's Geographische Geschichte. At the time of the above submission the availabihty of the foregoing work was open to question, but, as has been explained in the note on Fennecus Desmarest, the Commission has now ruled in favour of the acceptance of this work. Reference to the Geographische Geschichte showed that Zimmermann had never published a specific name consisting of the word brasiliensis. In the passage concerned Zimmermann had discussed an animal under the vernacular name " Der Guachi " and in the list of references which he gave for earlier works in which this species was mentioned he cited the name brasiliensis which he 182 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS attributed to " Brisson, R.p. 278 ", i.e. to the Regnum animale of that author. This latter work at the species-name level is predominantly non-binominal and certainly does not comply with the requirements of Proviso (b) to Article 25. In these circumstances the name brasiliensis Brisson, 1762 ( : 202, 250, 267) possesses no status in nomenclature. The name sambachii Gray, being the oldest validly published name available, is thus the valid name for the type species of the genus. (61) " Putorius " Cuvier (G.L.C.F.D.), 1817 77. The name Putorius Cuvier, 1817, has already been placed on the Official List by the Ruling given by the Commission in Opinion 91. Accordingly, no action is called for in this case. (62) " Rhynchogale " Thomas (M.R.O.), 1894 78. The name Rhynchogale Thomas, 1894, is a nom. nov. for the name Rhinogale Gray (J.E.), [1865], which is invalid by reason of being a junior homonym of Rhinogale Gloger, 1841. The name Rhinogale Gray, [1865], should be placed on the Official Index of Rejected and Invalid Generic Names in Zoology at the same time that the generic name Rhynchogale Thomas, 1894, is placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology. (63) " Spilogale " Gray (J.E.), 1865 79. No difficulties arise in connection with this name. (64) " Suricata " Desmarest, 1804 80. The type species of this genus is Suricata capensis Desmarest, 1804. This nominal species is subjectively identified by specialists with the nominal species Viverra suricata Schreber, [1776]. In consequence, the name capensis Desmarest is currently treated as a junior subjective synonym of suricata OPINION 384 183 Schreber. In these circumstances the name suricata Schreber, [1776], and not the name capensis Desmarest, 1804, should be placed on the Official List of Specific Names in Zoology at the time when the generic name Suricata Desmarest, 1804, is placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology. (65) " Taxidea " Waterhouse (G.R.), 1839 81. Two points call for note in connection with this generic name. These points are : — (a) In 1847 this generic name was emended by Hodgson to Taxidia. This emendation is invalid and it should be placed on the Official Index of Rejected and Invalid Generic Names in Zoology at the same time that this generic name in its valid original spelling Taxidea is placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology. (b) The type species of this genus is Ursus labradorius Gmelin, 1788. This nominal species is subjectively identified by specialists with the nominal species Ursus taxus Schreber, [1777]. In consequence, the name labradorius Gmelin, 1788, is currently treated as a junior subjective synonym of taxus Schreber, [1777]. In these circumstances, the name taxus Schreber and not the name labradorius Gmelin should be placed on the Official List of Specific Names in Zoology at the time when the generic name Taxidea Waterhouse, 1839, is placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology. (66) " Tayra " Oken, 1816 82. As in the case of the names Genetta Oken, 1816, and Grison Oken, 1816 (paragraph 30 above), it is recommended that a decision on the question on the admission of the name Tayra Oken, 1816, to the Official List should be deferred until a decision has been reached on the question of the availability of 184 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS Oken's Lehrbuch, the work in which this generic name was pubhshed.^^ (67) " Thalarctos " Gray (J.E.), 1825 83. Three points call for note in connection with this name. The first and third of these points are purely nomenclatorial, the second, in part also taxonomic. The points in question are the following : — (a) Agassiz in 1846 emended this generic name to Thalarctus, but under the Regies this is an Invalid Emendation and is to be rejected. Accordingly when this generic name in its valid original spelling Thalarctos Gray is placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology, the Invalid Emendation Thalarctus Agassiz should be placed on the Official Index of Rejected and Invalid Generic Names in Zoology. (b) The type species of this genus is the nominal species Ursus polaris Gray (J.E.), 1825. This nominal species has, however, long been identified with the nominal species Ursus maritimus attributed either (i) to Phipps, 1774 {Voy. toward N. Pole : 185) or (ii) to Erxleben, 1777 {Syst. Regn. Anim. : 160). Another early use of the specific name Ursus maritimus is that by Schreber, [1776], {Die Sdugthiere 3 : pi. 141 ; id., [1777], ibid. 3 : 513). None of these authors was, however, the first to apply the name Ursus maritimus to the Polar Bear, the first author to have done so being (as pointed out by Commissioner Angel Cabrera, in litt., 25th September 1931) Linnaeus himself in 1758 in a note attached to the description of the Brown Bear, Ursus arctos Linnaeus, 1758 {Syst. Nat. (ed. 10) 1 : 47). ^* Since this passage was written the International Commission has rejected Oken's Lehrbuch for nomenclatorial purposes. This decision has been embodied in Opinion 417 (now in the press). The question remaining to be considered is whether the generic name Tayra Oken, 1816, should be validated by the Commission under its Plenary Powers. OPINION 384 185 (c) In view of the fact that, as explained in (b) above, the name polaris Gray, 1825, is treated by specialists as being a junior subjective synonym of the specific name maritimus attributed to one or other of the earlier authors dis- cussed above, the name maritimus, as pubHshed in the combination Ursus maritimus in 1758 by Linnaeus, the author by whom this name was first published in the above combination for the Polar Bear, and not the later naxae polaris Gray, 1825, should be placed on the Official List of Specific Names in Zoology at the time when the generic name Thalarctos Gray is placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology. (68) " Urocyon " Baird, 1857 84. Two points arise for consideration in the present case. The first of these is concerned with the determination of which of two papers by different authors published in the same year was the first in which a type selection for the genus Urocyon Baird was validly made under Rule (g) in Article 30. The second is concerned with the taxonomic status of the nominal species which is the type species of this genus. These questions are discussed in paragraphs 85 — 88 and 89 below respectively. 85. Baird introduced the name Urocyon as the name for a subgenus of the genus Vulpes ; he placed in this subgenus two nominal species, of which the first was Canis virginianus Schreber, [1776]. Baird did not designate a type species for this genus and no type species was selected by any subsequent author until the year 1901. In that year, however, Canis virginianus Schreber was independently selected as the type species (1) by Miller & Rehn, 1901, Proc. Boston Soc. nat. Hist. 30 : 202—204. and (2) by EUiot, 1901, Field Mus. Publ. (Zool.) 2 : 307. When I ascertained that there were these two competing type selections for the genus Urocyon, each published in an American serial pubhshed in the same year (1901), I appealed for information to Dr. Remington Kellogg (at that time Curator, Division of Mammals, and now Director, United States National Museum, Washington, D.C.) and to the late Dr. Wilfred H. Osgood (Chicago Natural History Museum). At the same time I wrote to Mrs. Leila F. Clark 186 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS (Librarian, Smithsonian Institution, Wasliington, D.C.), thinking that records of the date of receipt by tlie Smithsonian Institution of the relevant parts of the two serials concerned might throw some light on the question at issue. 86. Dr. Remington Kellogg replied (in a letter dated 12th March 1946) that the type species of the genus Urocyon Baird was the nominal species Canis virginianus Schreber, [1776] (which, he added, represented the same taxonomic species as Canis cinereoargenteus Schreber, [1776]) ; that the paper in which Elliot had selected that species was published on " March 6 1901 " ; and that Miller & Rehn's paper was pubhshed on " December 27 1901, at 10.55 a.m., when it was available for public consultation at the library of the Boston Society of Natural History ". On the same day (12th March 1946), Mrs. Leila F. Clark rephed that the library stamps on the copies of scientific serials in the library of the Smithsonian Institution threw no light on the problem. At the same time, she added the following information in supplement to that contained in Dr. Remington Kellogg's letter of 12th March 1946):— Dr. Remington Kellogg tells me that the dates of pubhcation of the two journals are on record in his Division. According to a letter dated January 1, 1902, written by the late Dr. Glover Allen who was, at that time, Secretary of the Boston Society of Natural History, the Part of volume 30 of its Proceedings containing the paper by Miller & Rehn was available to the public on December 27, 1901, at 10.55 a.m., while a memorandum from the Field Museum, undated, but pre- sumably written at about the same time, gives the date of publication of the Part of Volume 2 of the Zoology section of the Field Museum Publications containing page 307, as March 6, 1901 ". 87. The foregoing information was further supplemented as follows by the late Dr. Wilfred H. Osgood (in a letter dated 17th July 1946) :— According to records in the mailing office of the Chicago Natural History Museum (Field Museum), 100 copies of Publication 45 were received from the printer on February 28, 1901, and 900 copies on March 5. Of these at least a few were distributed on March 20 and March 30. Therefore the date of pubhcation may safely be taken as not later than March 1901, which is considerably earlier than the December 1901 of Miller & Rehn. Designation of the type species by Elliot stands. OPINION 384 187 88. The information (summarised in the two preceding para- graphs) kindly furnished by the speciahsts consulted establishes beyond possibihty of question that Elliot's paper was published before that by Miller & Rehn and therefore that under the Regies the effective selection of a type species for the genus Urocyon Baird is that made by Elliott. 89. The nominal species Canis virginianus Schreber, [1776], which is the type species of the genus Urocyon Baird, is currently identified by specialists with the nominal species Canis cinereo- argenteus Schreber, [1776], and the species concerned is known by the latter name, the name virginianus Schreber being treated as a junior subjective synonym. In these circumstances, the name cinereoargenteus Schreber and not the name virginianus Schreber should be placed on the Official List of Specific Names in Zoology at the time when the generic name Urocyon Baird is placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology. (69) " Ursus " Linnaeus, 1758 90. The name Ursus Linnaeus, 1758, has already been placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology by the Ruling given by the Commission in Opinion 75. Accordingly, no action is called for in this case. (70) " Viverra " Linnaeus, 1758 91. No difficulties arise in connection with this name. (71) " Viverricula " Hodgson, 1838 92. Hodgson cited only two nominal species as being included in this nominal genus, these species being cited in the unsatis- factory fashion " indica et rape auct ". The species so included are : (1) Viverra indica (Geoffroy MS.) Desmarest, 1804 (Nouv. Diet. Hist. nat. 24 (Tab.) : 17); and (2) the species Viverra rasse Horsfield, 1823 {Zool. Researches Java : (6)). Neither of these species was designated by Hodgson as the type species of this nominal genus. 188 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS 93. So far as I have been able to ascertain, the first author to select either of the originally included species to be the type species of Viverricula Hodgson was Sclater (W.L.), 1891 {Cat. Mamm. Ind. Mus. 2 : 238), who, after identifying Viverra indica Desmarest, 1804, with Viverra malaccensis Gmelin, 1788 {in Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. (ed. 13) 1 : 92), selected the last named nominal species to be the type species of Viverricula Hodgson. This method of selecting the type species of a nominal genus is open to strong objection, owing to the confusion so impUed between subjective taxonomic ideas (regarding the taxonomic identity of two nominal species) and objective nomenclatorial facts (regarding the nominal species actually included in a nominal genus by its original author). Indeed, up to the time of the Meeting of the Commission and the Congress in Paris, 1948, it was doubtful whether such type selections complied with the rigorous requirements of Rule (g) in Article 30 of the Regies. In view of the large number of accepted type selections which rest upon this insecure foundation and of the need therefore for a clear pronouncement as to their acceptability under Article 30, the Commission at Paris agreed to recommend (and the Thirteenth Congress approved) that words should be inserted in the Regies prescribing that, where an author selects as the type species of a genus a nominal species which was not an originally included species and at the same time synonymises that nominal species with a nominal species which was an originally included species, the type selection so made is to be accepted as complying with the requirements of Article 30, Rule (g) (1950, Bull. zool. Nom'encl. 4 : 180, Point 69(3)(b)). Thus, Sclater's action in 1891 is now seen to have constituted a valid selection of Viverra indica Desmarest as the type species of Viverricula Hodgson. (In this particular case, no harm would have arisen even if the Commission had given a ruUng in the opposite sense, for the next following selection of a type species was by Pocock in 1939 {Faun. Brit. Ind. (Mamm.) (ed. 2) 1 : 362, where Viverra indica Desmarest, 1804, was unequivocally selected as the type species of Viverricula Hodgson.) 94. In the application submitted to the Commission in this case, the type species of the nominal genus Viverricula Hodgson was given as " ? tsd. (date ?) malaccensis syn. indica ". We have now seen (1) that the nominal species Viverra malaccensis Gmehn, 1788, was not one of the nominal species originally included by OPINION 384 189 Hodgson in the nominal genus Viverricula Hodgson ; (2) that tlie nominal species Viverra indica Desmarest, 1804, on the other hand was such a species and (3) that that nominal species was validly selected as the type species of Viverricula by Sclater in 1891. The only point arising out of this part of the application submitted to the Commission which remains to be considered is the subjective identification by the late Commissioner Stiles (following Sclater (1891) and Palmer (1904, Fauna N. Amer 25 : 707)) of the nominal species Viverra indica Desmarest and Viverra malaccensis Gmelin with one another. On this subject Honorary Life President (then President) Karl Jordan submitted under cover of a letter dated 6th December 1934 the following note which had been communicated to him by the late Dr. R. I. Pocock : " Viverricula : the genotype is indica ; malaccensis must go. It was named by Gmelin from Sonnerat's description and figure. The description was written apparently from memory of probably two, if not more, oriental species, fitting none, and the figure taken from a Cape Genet living in Paris ". In 1933 Pocock (/. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 36 : 629 — 631) rejected the name malaccensis Gmelin for this species. In 1935, however, Chasen (/. Siam Soc. nat. Hist., Suppl. 10 : 41) thought that the name malaccensis should be retained. Quite recently, this subject has been reviewed by Ellerman & Morrison-Scott (1951, Checklist pal. ind. Mamm. : 282), who have accepted the name indica Desmarest as the oldest available name for this species. There appears therefore to be no reason why the specific name indica Desmarest, 1804, as published in the combination Viverra indica, the oldest specific name objectively available for the type species of the genus Viverricula Hodgson and the name used by Hodgson when establishing that nominal genus, should not be placed on the Official List of Specific Names in Zoology. It is accordingly recommended that this action should be taken at the time when the generic name Viverricula Hodgson is placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology. (72) " Vormela " Blasius, 1884 95. The type species of this genus is Mustela sarmatica Pallas, 1771, a nominal species which is subjectively identified by 190 OPINIONS AND DECLARATIONS Specialists with the nominal species MusteJa peregusna Guelden- staedt, 1770. In consequence the name sarmatica Pallas is treated as a junior subjective synonym of peregusna Guelden- staedt. In these circumstances, the mxat peregusna Gueldenstaedt and not the name sarmatica Pallas should be placed on the Official List of Specific Names in Zoology at the time when the generic name Vormela Blasius is placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology. (73) " Vulpes " Oken, 1816 96. As in the case of the other generic names introduced by Oken discussed in the present Report (Genetta ; Grison ; Tayra), it is recommended that no decision regarding the admission of the generic name Vulpes Oken to the Official List be taken until the Commission has taken a decision on the question of the nomenclatorial availabihty of the Lehrbuch der Natur- geschichte, the work in which this name was pubUshed^^. The present case is complicated also by the existence of earlier works containing the name Vulpes, which wiU also need to be considered by the Commission before a decision can be taken in the present case. (74) " Xenogale " AUen, 1919 97. No difficulties arise in connection with this name. ^^ Since this passage was written the International Commission has rejected Oken's Lehrbuch for nomenclatorial purposes. This decision has been embodied in Opinion 417 (now in the press). The question remairung to be considered is whether the generic name Vulpes Oken, 1816, should be validated by the Commission under its Plenary Powers. Printed in England by Mf.tcai,fk & Cooper Limited, 10-24 Scmtton St., London EC2