[Taxacom] Abbreviations/conventions in L. Agassiz' "Nomenclatoris Zoologici Index Universalis"

[Tony.Rees at csiro.au]

Dear Taxacomers,

I am trying to understand the abbreviations/conventions used in L. Agassiz' "Nomenclatoris Zoologici Index Universalis" (original 1846 edition viewable via http://books.google.com.au/books?id=AuIPAQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover although scholars normally now ascribe the date to 1847) as compared with (say) equivalent names as reproduced in Neave's Nomenclator Zoologicus (online version available at http://uio.mbl.edu/NomenclatorZoologicus/). For example on the first page of names in the "Index", the third entry reads:

  Abaris Dej. Col. 1831. (Scr. Abarys).

(also quite a few others have variant spellings of this type, prefaced "Scr.")

while the eleventh entry reads:

  Abia -- (V. Habia Less.) Aves

A little lower we then have:

  Ablepharis Coct. Rept. 1836 (Scr. Ablepharus).
  Ablepharus Fitz. Rept. 1824. (V. Ablepharis).

(I have omitted some italicisation present in the original as it will not transmit via this list).

I am presuming that the abbreviation "Scr." means "scriptus" i.e. written, and "V." means "vide" in other words "see".

Many/most names are also prefixed with either open or closed small circles (similar to a degree symbol), the significance of which is explained in latin on p. vi of the Preface, but I cannot yet understand.

Now when we check equivalent names in Neave's Nomenclator Zoologicus, "Abarys", for example is therein ascribed to Agassiz 1846 Nomen. Zool. Index Univ. with the note "(emend. pro Abaris Dejean 1831)", "Abia" similarly to Agassiz 1846 as "(emend. pro Ha- Vieillot 1817)", Ablepharis Cocteau 1832 as "(err. or emend. pro -rus Fitzinger 1823)", and Ablepharus simply as Fitzinger 1823.

The reason for caring (at all) about these is that over 2,100 generic names in Neave are credited to Agassiz 1846, Nomen. Zool. Index Univ. as the authority, the vast majority as "emend. pro..." although from the above it would seem mostly that he was recording alternative spellings under "Scr." - or am I perhaps wrong here? In practical terms it does make a difference, since emendations (justified or unjustified) are considered available names and therefore enter homonymy, while simple errors (i.e. incorrect subsequent spellings not intended as new names) do not.

(FYI the version of this work presently in BHL is the 1848 reprint which has entirely different pagination, just to confuse, although the text is otherwise essentially the same).

Any advice / alternative readings appreciated,

Regards - Tony

Tony Rees
Manager, Divisional Data Centre,
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