Viruses

[Kenelm Philip]

        I had thought that the whole point of using Latin in taxonomy was
that, being a dead language, it would not be liable to conflicting
interpretations. I am fascinated to find that one can still have dis-
agreements about which declension a noun belongs to:

> I assure you, as someone with a degree in Latin, who has taught hundreds
> of students and read many, many texts in Latin, the word 'virus' is
> fourth declension, is masculine...

        Table 2 of the ICZN, 1964, lists the gender, declension, etc. of
'typical Latin nouns'. On page 126 this table lists 'virus' as second
declension, neuter, but indicates that this applies to virus, pelagus,
and vulgus only.

        What should we uneducated mortals do when experts disagree?

                                                        Ken Philip