Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 2 (1898).djvu/133

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TECHNICAL NAMES OF BRITISH MAMMALS.
101
Rodentia—(continued).
 
English Name. Current Name. Name Advocated.
 
Common Field Vole Arvicola agrestis Microtus agrestis.
Bank Vole Arvicola glareolus Evotomys glareolus.
Hare Lepus timidus Lepus europæus.
Varying or "Blue" Hare Lepus variabilis Lepus timidus.
Rabbit Lepus cuniculus Lepus cuniculus.
Ungulata.
 
Red Deer Cervus elaphus Cervus elaphus.
Fallow Deer Cervus dama Cervus dama.
Roe Deer Capreolus caprea Capreolus capreolus.

Notes and Explanations to the List.

chiroptera.

With regard to the fundamental error about "Vespertilio murinus" referred to above, it may be explained that Linnæus, speaking in his 'Fauna Suecica' solely of Swedish animals, considered that there were two species of Vespertilio only—V. auritus with long ears, and V. murinus with short ears. The first is Plecotus auritus, and the second is certainly not the large continental species commonly so called, which does not occur in Scandinavia, but is either the Bat hitherto called Vesperugo (Vesperus) discolor, or V. (Vesperus) nilssoni, and in all probability the former, the doubt in no way affecting the generic changes involved. In the 'Systema Naturæ' the same names were used. It is clear therefore that Vespertilio must be adopted for the "Vesperus" group of Vesperugo, and since it seems on the whole advisable that that group should stand as a genus distinct from true "Vesperugo," only two of our British Bats—the Serotine and the Parti-coloured[1]— will fall into Vespertilio in its new sense. The other members of "Vesperugo," as a matter of priority, must bear the easily remembered name of Pipistrellus. For those formerly called Vespertilio the proper name is Myotis.

Full references are given in the paper by Mr. Miller quoted above, as also in the case of Barbastella (1825), which antedates Synotus (1839).

  1. Even this is doubtfully British.