standardizing common names

[Michael Gochfeld]

I agree with Jim about the cat.  I wouldn't try to persuade Floridians to abandon
the name Panther for their endangered cat. Nor is Mountain Lion appropriate for
this species which used to range over most of North and South America (not
particularly montane).  Even today in California where human encounters with the
cats are apparently increasingly common, it is NOT  mainly in mountainous regions.
The only Felis concolor I ever saw was a small form (probably a subspecies)
crossing the road on the Venezuelan llanos, a far cry from montane habitat.

But, and this is where James and I may differ.  There isn't likely to be any
confusion over what is intended by the term Panther in Florida, Mountain Lion in
Colorado, or Puma or Cougar.  But if Alaskans talk about Monarchs that would
certainly confuse me. I agree that the issue of adopting a list of standardized
English names should take into account usage, and could even agree that more than
one name is acceptable in different regions. But that should be an exception rather
than a rule and over a period of generations (human generations that is)
encouraging people to adopt a standard English name seems like a desirable goal.


Mike Gochfeld

James Kruse wrote:

> on 4/1/02 4:15 PM, Michael Gochfeld at gochfeld at eohsi.rutgers.edu wrote:
>
> >
> > Fortunately this is a butterfly list. So we can finesse the issue of Mountain
> > Lion.
> (snip)
> > I doubt that there are any butterflies that share this nomenclatorial fate.
>
> I guess I was too obtuse and we have apparently 'spoken' past each other. I
> am glad you came up with Puma. The use of Mountain Lion helped me illustrate
> 2 points. I will now combine with butterfly examples.
>
> 1. The same common name can be bestowed on different species/subspecies.
> E.g., panther for F. concolor AND Florida black 'cougars' AND black leopards
> in Africa. "Monarch" is a yellow butterfly with black stripes in Alaska (P.
> canadensis) (sorry if that freaks anyone out) and the "monarch" is an orange
> migratory butterfly in the lower 48 and S. Canada and into Mexico (D.
> plexippus). I guess I should have used pigeon and rock dove, since so many
> people get away with the passenger pigeon example for collecting without any
> "foul". Shame on me.
>
> 2. A common name appropriate to one region may not be appropriate to
> another. Mountain lions in areas where there are no mountains; Canadian
> Tiger Swallowtail in Alaska (and hence a preference to keep Monarch over
> adopting that name).
>
> Sheesh,
> Jim
>
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