Dates of Publication

Editor’s Note – This brief post is offered as an appendix to my essay of 6Feb19, “Ferrissia fragilis (Tryon 1863).”

Several of you have pointed out, in separate correspondence with me over the last week, that taxonomic priority is established not by date of oral presentation, but by date of publication.  This does not change the order of the three freshwater limpet descriptions I reviewed in my essay of 6Feb19, nor indeed anything in my essay at all.  But for the record, the precise, formal publication dates of the three limpet taxa I discussed in that essay were: 

• Gundlachia californica Rowell, (31)May1863
• Ancylus fragilis Tryon, 13July1863
• Gundlachia meekiana Stimpson, (31)Dec1863

Our good buddy Dr. Harry Lee, from Jacksonville (FL), is quite the gifted scholar.  Yesterday morning he sent me a thoroughly-researched letter on the subject, together with supporting documentation, which I have made available from the links below: 

• Letter from H. G. Lee, regarding the nomen Ferrissia fragilis [pdf]
• Extract from Levinton et al. (2010) [pdf] 

And to be clear.  Just because I myself am not a priest, nor a scribe, nor a Pharisee does not mean that I don’t value the services they can provide.  Everybody appreciates a scribe now and then.  Thanks, Harry!