Fwd: RE: multicaudata vs multicaudatus

[Michael Gochfeld]

If you don't like common names go to 2.  

1. The example below shows why the common names of species should be 
treated as proper nouns and capitalized since (style manuals 
notwithstanding) they refer to unique entities.  

Use in a sentence:  There flies a multi-tailed butterfly". 

Does that refer to one of many butterflies which happen to have more 
than one tail, or to a member of a single species (Papilio 
multicaudatus, the Multi-tailed Butterfly). 



   At last some concrete information that leaves us with two 
possibilities -
>*Papilio multicaudata* - "butterfly, the multi-tailed"
>*Papilio multicaudatus* - "the multi-tailed butterfly"

CONCLUSIONS: Species as unique entities are proper nouns and ought to be 
capitlized to avoid confusion.  Try for example, the little metalmark. 

If I keep this up I will make a case for not using common names. 

2.  Bye

 
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