Scientific Names of Greek Derivation

Abstract

MAY I follow Prof. Grenville Cole (NATURE, November 17, p. 724) in supporting Sir Clifford Allbutt? The prefix “dino-,” as thus spelled, is ambiguous. We who know that “dinosaur” means “terrible lizard” may smile at the undergraduate and his “dinnosaur.” But how would you pronounce “Dinocystis”? Wrongly, no doubt, as I did myself until I learned that the first begetter of the name derived it from ϵ, to swirl, because the rays are spirally coiled. The same for Dinocharis and Dinophysa. Well, then, what about the giant corkscrew shell from the Hastings Sand—the Dinocochlea of B. B. Woodward? That perhaps means “spiral coil” or does it mean “monster coil”? Should it, in short, be Deinocochlea or Dinocochlea?