More on lists of available generic names

[Amelie Scheltema]

On looking back through issues of _Malacologia_, I read the following
articles, which others needing to know available generic names might
be interested in:

Bouchet, P. & J-P Rocroi.  1992.  Supraspecific names of molluscs: a
quantitative review.  Malacologia 34: 75-86. "At least 20 percent of
the recently introduced taxa [of Mollusca] escape the _Zoological
Record_...."

Edwards, M.A. & M.J. Thorne.  1993.  Reply to "Supraspecific names of
molluscs: a quantitative review."  Malacologia 35: 153-154. "Each
section of the _Zoological Record_ carries a request to authors to
provide copies of recent publications for indexing purposes..."

Bouchet, P. & J-P Rocroi.  1993.  The lottery of bibliography
databases: a reply to Edwards & Thorne.  Malacologia 35: 407-410.
"...we have analyzed the place of publication of 370 genus-group names
[of Mollusca] omitted from _Nomenclator Zoologicus_ and _ZR_ [Zool.
Rec.]...starting with the letters A-K...." "... 141 omitted names
(38%) were published in books and series; 153 names (41%) were
published in main-stream journals; 76 names (21%) were published in
little-known or obscure journals.... there is no correlation between
omission between omission from _Nomenclator Zoologicus_ and
circulation of a journal or book."  The authors go on to caution
against a "List of Available Generic Names" based on _Nomenclator
Zool._ and _ZR_ that would bear the blessings of the International
Commission of Zool.  Nomen. as resolved by the ICZN in 1990; they
further suggest that all publications with new names be required by
ICZN to be sent to them.  (Does anyone know whether the ICZN is
considering this proposal?)

Edwards, M.A. & M.J. Thorne.  1995.  Response to Bouchet & Rocroi....
Malacologia 37: 157. "It is our understanding that proposals on how a
registry of names might be compiled or made available have yet to be
finalized...."

So I suppose, unless anyone knows further, we are left with imperfect
lists of available generic names.  I suppose this actually opens the
way for using great imagination in thinking up new generic names when
necessary--names no one could possibly have thought of before!

Amelie Scheltema ascheltema at whoi.edu