Eddy,

Dick, of course, got it right.  To clarify your usage problem it would be best to call a specimen by the genus name then indicate sp., as in species unknown, then add cf. whatever. Not uncommonly people put the cf. after the name, or just add a question mark.  People are lazy and space on labels may be at a premium so they skip a step or two...   For example, the common tulip shell is Fasciolaria tulipa (Linnaeus, 1758).  If someone is unsure of the specimen at hand, he could informally add a question mark after the name, or if pretty sure that it is not F. tulipa but at least closely related, he could call it Fasciolaria sp. cf. F. tulipa (Linnaeus, 1758).  Extra notes explaining the problem would, of course, be helpful, but the shorthand usage calls attention to the problem, and if the specimen stays in your collection, no one can complain!

Allen Aigen
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-- Eddy Wilmet <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

Thank you, but I've still two little questions about this item.
1. shouldn't we use "cfr." instead of "cf" as abbreviation for the Latin word "conferatur"?
2. and as the shell you want to describe isn't a true "specimen" of a known species, should it not be more accurate in our identification tags to put "species" , mentioning only the similarities under "remarks" ?
Regards,
Eddy.
www.euromurex.be
 
----- Original Message -----
From: [log in to unmask] href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">Richard Petit
To: [log in to unmask] href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]
Sent: Monday, September 11, 2006 1:54 AM
Subject: Re: taxonomy

It has no standing in systematic taxonomy.  It is an abbreviation for the Latin confer which means exactly the same thing in English, in this case meaning "compare with."  It is used when it is wished to point out similarities between species.  The insertion of cf. has no effect on the name except to indicate that the person using the name  wants to call to attention to the fact that it is close to another species. 
 
dick p.
 
----- Original Message -----
From: "Eddy WILMET" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, September 10, 2006 6:18 PM
Subject: taxonomy

> Hello, what are the rules of taxonomy to be allowed to use the
> mention "cf" before a speciesname?
> Thanks,
> Eddy.
> www.euromurex.be
>
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