Dear Paul M.
 
Article 5 (a) of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (1985
edition) states: "The scientific name of a species, and not of a taxon of
any other rank, is a combination of two names (a binomen), the first being
the generic name and the second the specific name..."
 
At 03:49 PM 3/19/98 -0500, you wrote:
>Actually, the species name per se is not a binomen.  The format used
>to designate a particular species is a binomen, but that name is a
>construct formed by adding the species name (with a lower case
>letter) to the genus name (always capitalized).
>
>Paul M.
 
 
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Jose H. Leal, Ph.D.
Director, The Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum
Editor-in-Chief, THE NAUTILUS
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