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> Helmut Nisters
> Franz-Fischer-Str. 46
> A-6020 Innsbruck
> E-mail: [log in to unmask]
>
> Dear Michael,
>
> in answering your question concerning why two different spellings of
> duplicatus and duplicata is the case of the latin. grammatical genus of
> Polinices. As Neverita is femina you have to change the species name
> from the masculinum - us to the femina  -a. The genus Polinices
> is masculinum, as you can see Polinices maurus, melanostomus,
> mostly ending with - us, Neverita instead always is femina, as you can
> see in endings with -a. Is the species name not used as adjective it's
> another problem. But there are als femina adjectives and masculina
> adjectives in latin with the same endings.It might be better to bring the
> species name in accordance to the genus in grammatical sense, but
> it is not so important to follow really. Beacause many scientists and
> privat collectors don't accept this by a lot of work.
> While transferring the species duplicatus (-a) from on genus to another
> genus depends on the scientists who are working on these groups.
> I hope my informations where usefully to you and I am sending my best
> regard from Innsbruck in Austria. There are the same problems with
> landshells too.
>
> yours Helmut
>
>
>
>
>  Hi,
> >
> > By way of introduction...I am a collector/hobbyist, not a scientist, so
> > I'm not up on all the changes in the field.
> >
> > I've  followed the discussion on Neverita, and have finally understood
> > that Neverita was originally Polinices. I accept the fact that Polinices
>
> > heros is now Lunatia heros, and that Polinices duplicata is now Neverita
> > duplicata, because, after all, in this imperfect world we must
> > constantly strive for perfection.  But I tripped somewhere along the
> > way.
> >
> > Regarding the duplicata: in Field Guide To The Shells (Morris, 1960), it
> > is called duplicata; in Shells of the Atlantic & Gulf Coasts (Abbot &
> > Morris, 1995) it is called duplicatus.  In checking my shelf of books, I
> > would say that the two forms of the word of pretty evenly divided.
> >
> > So, two questions. One is when did the name change to Neverita, and the
> > other is why the two spellings of the species name?
> >
> > Anyone for answers?
> >
> > MICHAEL
> > White Plains, NY
> >
>