Osteolepidæ

Abstract

THERE can be no question that “R. L. + E.” is himself mistaken in his arbitrary assumption of a rule for the formation of compound adjectives in Greek. Sometimes the lengthened genitive is used as the stem, as in δισώμαтos (“disomatus”); sometimes the short nominative stem is employed, as in δίσтoμos (“distomus”); and sometimes both forms occur side by side, as Φιλαίμαтos (“philæmatus”) and Φίλαιμos (“philæmus”), the former seeming to be preferred. These are words actually in use in Greek writers, and any lexicon will give plenty of other instances. But his whole argument is beside the point; the question is not whether an adjective is formed from the lengthened genitive, but whether an adjective, formed from a noun which lengthens its genitive, lengthens its own genitive. It does so in every instance; e.g. we have καλλίθριξ with genitive καλλίтριχos, μικρoπтέρυξ with genitive μικρoπтέρυγos. Hence, in the Lepidoptera, we rightly call the family, of which Micropteryx is the type, the Micropterygidæ.