high-level taxonomy (was re: masc. genitive honorific epithets)

[Robin Panza]

>At 03:12 PM 12/4/95 -0800, Timothy S. Ross wrote:
>> Xantus' hummingbird was
>>named in his honor, but interestingly (or at least I think so), the generic
>>name was constructed as Xantusia, rather than Xantia.  I believe that
>>either generic name would have been acceptable under the ICBN.
>
>Curtis Clark responded:
>There was an article by Dan Nicolson in _Taxon_ some years back that dealt
>with the mechanics of -i, -ii endings, based on Roman naming customs.  But
>of course the rules in this respect are different for plants (such as
>nightshades and hummingbirds) than for animals.  :-)

This is getting rather strange-sounding.  First Timothy seems to imply that
Xantusia is a hummingbird (it's a genus of lizard), then Dan replies that
hummingbirds are plants.  C'mon folks, are we losing sight of the forest for
the trees (or the kingdoms for the i's)?

Robin Panza                     panzar at clp2.clpgh.org
Section of Birds
Carnegie Museum of Natural History