Scientific names are a very valuable id tool, and that the unique names mean that they won’t let anyone get confused.

Well….that’s what they (the boffins) SAY.

I got these two names from

Shyamal

recently, with the subject title, “Etching bird names into one’s memory”…..

Parastratiosphecomyia stratiosphecomyioides Gammaracanthuskytodermogammarus loricatobaicalensis

(The first is

the Soldier Fly

and the second is

an amphipod

I cannot see myself ever getting comfortable with such names….so I wrote back to Shyamal:

As much as I want to etch Such names into my memory… I’ll only gag and retch And never remember the names, only the features. And that will be the end of the story. Could you go over YOUR recollections hoary And bring out and fetch The common names of these creatures? The scientific names….are,literally, a stretch!

I also find that suddenly, scientific names themselves are changed; for example, all the “Bufo” and “Rana” of my younger days are now gone and some horrendously difficult names have taken their place.

So…scientific names will not be my great favourites….