The Key to Scientific Names
Symbols, standard abbreviations, and short glossary
(including abbreviations and notations frequently used by earlier authors)
| Ϯ | Type species (1) Type species of header genus (symbol follows family name and precedes substantive and scientific names, e.g. Aceros (Bucerotidae; Ϯ Rufous-necked Hornbill A. nipalensis). Current subspecific taxa and synonyma are included here without further identification (see below under (2)).
(2) Type species of synonymised header genus (symbol follows current genus and precedes substantive and current scientific name, e.g. Abalius (syn. Thamnophilus Ϯ Black-hooded Antshrike T. bridgesi) (i.e. Thamnophilus bridgesi is the type of Abalius not of Thamnophilus. However, the two genera shown can have the same type. The family name is omitted, but may be found under the current genus name in the Key. Current subspecific taxa and synonyma are included here without further comment (e.g. under Rectirostrum (syn. Macrosphenus Ϯ Yellow Longbill M. flavicans hypochondriacus), the original type species of Rectirostrum is hypochondriacus, currently treated as a subspecies of flavicans). |
| ‡ | Extinct genus |
| ! | exclamation! Formerly used by purist authors as a mark of reproach and astonishment at a barbarous name (i.e. not classical) which they considered had to be replaced |
| ? | doubtful, unidentifiable, tentative |
| … | text omitted from original quotation |
| [ ] | square brackets enclose present author’s clarification or correction (NB. some authors use square brackets in their writings (e.g. Vieillot 1816; Heine & Reichenow 1890)) |
| ♂ | male |
| ♀ | female |
| ☼ | juvenile, immature, non-adult |
| = | equals, modern equivalent, is |
| ± | plus or minus, more or less, or thereabouts |
| < | derived from, from |
| & | and |
| &c. | etcetera, and the like (Latin et cetera) |
| adj. | adjective, adjectival |
| Adm. | Admiral |
| AMNH | American Museum of Natural History, New York |
| anon. | anonymous author, undiscovered author |
| AOU | American Ornithologists’ Union |
| apud | in the works of, in the sense of (Latin apud among, with) |
| auct. | of (other / subsequent) authors (Latin auctorum) (i.e. name not used in the designated or restricted sense of the original author) |
| b. | born |
| BHL | Biodiversity Heritage Library (on-line service) |
| bk. | book |
| bl. | remains, stays (i.e. valid) (German bleibt < bleiben to stay) |
| BM | British Museum, London |
| BMNH | British Museum (Natural History), London |
| BOC | British Ornithologists’ Club |
| Bot. / bot. | botanical, botany |
| BOU | British Ornithologists’ Union |
| Br. | Brother in Holy Orders |
| Brig. | Brigadier |
| Bt. | Baronet (often also abbreviated to Bart.) |
| Bull. | Bulletin |
| c. | about, approximately (Latin circa) |
| Capt. | Captain |
| cf. | compare, consult (Latin confer) |
| cl. | class, section |
| Col. | Colonel |
| coll. | collector, collected by |
| comm. | communicated in personal conversation (Latin communicavit he communicated) |
| comp. | comparative degree or form of (e.g. greater) (cf. in comp.) |
| Comte | Count (fem. Comtesse) (French) |
| Conde | Count (fem. Condesa) (Spanish) |
| Conte | Count (fem. Contessa) (Italian) |
| cotype | term formerly used for either syntype or paratype |
| d. | died |
| dim. | diminutive degree or form (e.g. least) |
| do. | ditto, the same, repeated, the said (Italian detto said < Latin dicere to say) |
| Dr | Doctor |
| e.g. | example (Latin exempli gratia) |
| ed. / éd. | editor, editors, edition / éditeur, éditeurs, édition (French) |
| et al. | and others (Latin et alii) (used of three or more authors) |
| etc. | etcetera, and the like (Latin et cetera) |
| ex | based on, based mainly on, derived from, according to (Latin) |
| F. | feminine gender |
| fasc. | fascicle, part, number (Latin fasciculus little bundle, packet) |
| fide | according to (Latin fides reliance) |
| fig. | figure, illustration (Latin figura) |
| figs. | figures, illustrations |
| fl. | flourished, lived (Latin floruit) |
| Fr. | Father in Holy Orders |
| Freiherr | Baron (fem. Baronin) (German) |
| Gen. | General |
| genotype | term formerly used for type species |
| Gov. | Governor |
| Gr. | Greek (ancient and classical; approx. 1000 BC to 300 BC) |
| Graf | Count (fem. Gräfin) (German) |
| Hab. | Habitat (earlier equivalent of Type Locality) (Latin habitat it inhabits) |
| Herzog | Duke (fem. Herzogin) (German) |
| holotype | single specimen originally designated as name-bearing type |
| I. | Island |
| ib. / ibid. | in the same place (Latin ibidem) |
| ic. | image, figure, painting (Latin icon, iconis < Gr. εικων eik?n) |
| id. | the same (Latin idem) |
| ICZN | International Code of Zoological Nomenclature |
| i.e. | that is (Latin id est) |
| incl. | includes, including, inclusive |
| in comp. | in composition (cf. comp.) |
| in litt. | in correspondence (includes e-mails and on-line forums), by personal correspondence (Latin in litteris) |
| Is. | Islands |
| Journ. | Journal |
| Jr. | Junior |
| L. | Latin (classical; approx. 200 BC to AD 200) |
| Late L. | Late Latin (approx. AD 200 to AD 600) |
| Late Med. | L. Late Mediaeval Latin (approx. AD 1500 to AD 1600) |
| lectotype | single syntype subsequently designated as the name-bearing type |
| Leg. / leg. | collector, collected by (L. legulus collector, gatherer < legere to collect) (this abbreviation was formerly much used, but is now mainly seen in lists of type specimens) |
| livr. | livraison, livre, part, number |
| Lt. | Lieutenant |
| M. | masculine gender |
| Maj. | Major |
| MCZ | Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University |
| Med. | L. Mediaeval Latin (approx. AD 600 to AD 1500) |
| Mid. French | Middle French (approx. 1350 – 1610) |
| mihi | to me, mine (Latin ego I) (in older texts describing new forms often abbreviated to “m.”) |
| Mod. | L. Modern Latin (approx. AD 1600 to the present) |
| monotypy | In citations where no type species is originally designated, the subsequent identification of a type species by reason of its being the only species mentioned in the new genus (or considered so by the original author). |
| MS / ms | manuscript (Latin manuscriptum) |
| MSS / mss | manuscripts |
| Mt. | Mount, Mountain |
| Mts. | Mountains |
| Mus. | Museum |
| myth. | mythology, mythological, mythical |
| N. | neuter gender |
| nec | and not (of), nor (of) (Latin) |
| no. | number, part (Latin numero) |
| nobis | to us, ours (Latin ego I) (in older texts describing new forms often abbreviated to “n.” or to “nob.”) |
| No expl. | No explanation or etymology given in the original citation/description |
| non | not (of) (Latin) |
| nos. | numbers, parts |
| OD | original description or diagnosis |
| Old French | Old French (approx. 850 – 1350) |
| olim | formerly, at times (Latin) |
| orn. | ornithology, ornithological |
| p. | page number (abbreviation often not given for serial works, e.g. 2: 12, or 2, 12 = vol. 2, p. 12) (Latin pagina) |
| pace | with due respect to, despite another opinion (Latin pace tua by your leave) |
| per | through, by (L.) |
| Père | Father in Holy Orders (French) |
| pl. | plate number |
| pll. | plate numbers |
| pp | page numbers (abbreviation often not given for serial works, e.g. 2: 12-15, or 2, 12-15 = vol. 2, pp. 12-15) |
| pref. | prefix |
| Principe | Prince (fem. Principessa) (Italian) |
| Príncipe | Prince (fem. Princeza) (Spanish / Portuguese) |
| Prinz | Prince (fem. Prinzessin) (German) |
| Prof. | Professor |
| pt. | part, partly, for the most part |
| pull. | pullus, chick, young (Latin pullus, from the root of puer child) |
| quasi-syn. | Quasi-synonym, ghost-synonym. This is a new coinage for the purposes of The Key, being the insertion and diagnosis of a junior generic homonym that distinguishes a different type-species to that fixed in the senior homonym (see e.g. Calyptorhynchus, Euphonia). |
| q.v. | which see (Latin quod vide) |
| RAOU | Royal Australasian Ornithologists’ Union / Birds Australia |
| recte | rightly, properly, correctly (L. < regere to guide) |
| ref. | reference, with reference to, refers to |
| rev. | revised (edition) |
| Revd. | Reverend |
| s. | Former abbreviation for seu and sive. |
| sect. | section, class |
| sens. lat. | in the broad or widest sense (sometimes abbreviated to “s. l.”) (Latin sensu lato) |
| sens. str. | in the strict or narrowest sense (sometimes abbreviated to “s. s.”) (Latin sensu stricto) |
| ser. / sér. | series / séries (French) |
| seu | or (Latin) (in older texts often abbreviated to “s.”) |
| sic | thus, so (Latin) (to call attention to an original spelling or error) |
| sive | or (Latin) (in older texts often abbreviated to “s.”) |
| sk. | skin |
| sp. | species (singular) |
| spp. | species (plural) |
| Sr. | Senior |
| sub nom. | under the (generic / specific) name of (Latin sub nomine) |
| subsp. | subspecies (singular), subspecies of (singular), race, race of |
| subspp. | subspecies (plural), subspecies of (plural), races, races of |
| suff. | suffix |
| super. | superlative degree or form (e.g. greatest) |
| Suppl. / suppl. | supplement (Latin supplementum completion, reinforcements) |
| suppr. | name/combination officially suppressed or rejected or invalidated |
| syn. | synonym of, synonymous with (Latin synonymum). In the text synonym is used in the very broadest sense, referring not only to true synonyms but also to variants, original spellings, corrected spellings, purist amendments, lapses, hybrids, misspellings, errors, unidentifiable names, suppressed and rejected names, nomina oblita and nomina nuda |
| Synon. | Synonym / synonyma of currently recognised genus listed and explained elsewhere in the Key. Note that synonymous genera do not necessarily have the same type species as the current ‘parent’ genus. The names are listed alphabetically, not in order of priority, so may be used for cross-reference purposes and perhaps provide further etymons or insights. |
| syntype | each specimen of a type series; in the absence of a holotypic designation any specimen from the original type series may be subsequently selected as a lectotype (the specimens remaining are known as paratypes) |
| tab. | plate (Latin tabula) (in older texts often abbreviated to “t.”) |
| tautonymy | In citations where no type species is originally designated, the subsequent identification of a type species by reason of the existence of a specific, synonymous, or substantive name of the same spelling quoted by the author. A name with almost the same spelling is referred to as virtual tautonymy. |
| Th. | Thence, from |
| TL | Type locality (Habitat (abbreviation: Hab.) in earlier works) |
| topotype | term for a specimen collected from the original type locality |
| u.s.w. | etcetera, etc. (German und so weiter) |
| unident. | unidentifiable, unidentified, indeterminable. |
| v. | 1. see (Latin vide) 2. or (Latin vel) |
| vel | or, rather (Latin < velle to wish) |
| vix | only just, scarcely (Latin vis quantity, influence, nature) |
| vol. | volume, book, livre (in catalogues, bibliographies and reference lists the volume number is often emboldened without abbreviation, e.g. 4 or IV = vol. 4 or vol. IV) |
| x | hybrid form, hybrid between, crossed with, hybridised with (of hybrid forms) |
| z.b. / z.B. | for example, e.g. (German zum Beispiel) |
| Zool. / zool. | zoological, zoology |
