"Species" the plural form

[Sean Edwards]

And I am assured that the plural of virus is virus (4th declension or
something). Can anybody confirm this please?

Anyway, in English we have sheep and sheep, deer and deer, fish
and fish (sometimes) and probably quite a few more where the plural
might be (have been) regarded as referring to the concept, usually
for prey or food animals? So we can hardly require forced anglicized
plurals on all foreign words.

And also, re:  'staphylococcuses', from a TAXACOM discussion last
year or earlier, I still feel that a taxon is a singular concept and
shouldn't be pluralized, although I accept that others beg to differ
and don't think that it will be fruitful to disenter this one.

Sean

Sean R. Edwards BSc PhD,
Keeper of Botany,
The Manchester Museum, Manchester University, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
'Phone: +44 (0)161-275-2671/2; fax: +44 (0)161-275-2676
Email: sean.edwards at man.ac.uk
Website: http://www.man.ac.uk/museum/