Protolog is fine for Zoology, too

[Robin Leech]

Hi Chris and others,
There are a number of superb words that were "invented" for biological use.
Some have slipped from favor.  For example, we use the terms "endemic" and
"native to" for indicating a place of origin of a species, a genus or
whatever.  However, the biological term "precinctive" was coined in Fauna
Hawaiiensis in 1900 for that purpose.  "Endemic" is a medical term, and
"native to" is an anthropological term.  You will find "precinctive" defined
in the Webster's 2nd International Dictionary, but NOT in the Webster's 3rd
International Dictionary.  You will find it in the addendum of some of the
later-published editions of the Webster's 3rd.
You can also find its origin given in the OED, along with its definition.
Check it out.  It is a wonderful word.  We use endemic and native to simply
because we are lazy - or don't know better.
Robin Leech

----- Original Message -----
From: "christian thompson" <cthompson at SEL.BARC.USDA.GOV>
To: <TAXACOM at USOBI.ORG>
Sent: Tuesday, June 18, 2002 8:21 AM
Subject: Protolog is fine for Zoology, too


> Dear Chris,
>
> Do me a favour will you and put this on TAXACOM.  The term "protologue"
> was
> invented for botanical use by A. J. Willmott (1888-1950)  a botanist
> working
> at the Natural History Museum in London in the early part of last century
> (pers comm from the late Wm T. Stearn - see the footnote by Stearn in the
> 1st volume of the Ray Facsimile of "Species Plantarum" (1957), p. 126.
> The
> use of the term is standard practice in Botany. Willmott defined
> protologue
> as "first discourse" to cover all the materials in the first account of a
> species - names, description, distribution, ecology etc.  See for example
> the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature - or simply type into the
> www - there are hundreds of examples.
>
> Chris Humphries
> The Natural History Museum
> London
>