Sophie et al.,

A Web search for "Montfort, 1810" yields many other examples of his generic
names for comparison with Clithon. Among them are: Acteon, Atys, Calpurnus,
Cantharidus, Capulus, Chicoreus, Clanculus, Cylinder, Hermes, Iberus,
Latirus, Magilus, Melampus, Phos, Polinices, Rhizorus, Scaphander, Scutus,
Tectus, Theodoxus, Trophon, Viviparus.

Some of these are deities (Atys, Hermes, Phos), some are morphologic
(Cylinder; Capulus = holder, tomb, coffin; Scutus < scutum, shield; Tectus =
tectus, covered; or from tectum, roof; Scaphander = dugout canoe), some
refer to people (Calpurnus < ? Calpurnia, Julius Caesar's wife; Polinices =
son of Oedipus; Melampus, "blackfoot", but also a seer in Greek myth;
Magilus < the Magi, Persian priests; Actaeon = aktaios, 'on the shore', but
also a character in Greek myth), another to habits (Viviparus =
live-bearing). Chicoreus seems to be from Latin cichorium, chicory; I don't
understand the connection. Clanculus comes from Latin clancularius, secret.
What's the secret? Iberus: the Latin name for the Ebro River? Why?

So Montfort was evidently a skilled namer of new genera; he often chose
personal names, some of which were unmodified, but others changed in gender
or to latinize Greek endings. He also seems to have enjoyed puns (Actaeon,
Melampus). It helps to be in the game early (1810), before the best names
are taken. The derivation of Clithon is thus very likely from Alexander's
general Clithos, though one can never be sure of such things if the original
author did not include the etymology.

Cincinnus = Latin, a curl (of hair); cincinnatus = with curly hair. The
historical Cincinnatus, for whom the city Cincinnati was named, must have
been given this as a nickname equivalent to the English nickname Curly. Of
course, this does not guarantee that he had curly hair; like Curly of the
Three Stooges, his hair may have been conspicuously uncurly!

Andrew K. Rindsberg
Geological Survey of Alabama

----------------------------------------------------------------------
[log in to unmask] - a forum for informal discussions on molluscs
To leave this list, click on the following web link:
http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=conch-l&A=1
Type your email address and name in the appropriate box and
click leave the list.
----------------------------------------------------------------------