Publication dates of Annales des Sciences Naturelles, série 3, Zoologie, tome 20 and their significance for the brachyuran (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura) descriptions of Henri Milne Edwards

The title page of Annales des Sciences Naturelles, Zoologie, troisiéme série, tome XX, is dated 1853. Examination of pages 1–383, however, reveals a signature at the base of some pages indicating this volume was published in six parts, each consisting of four sheets, e.g., 3 e série. Zool, T. XX (Cahier no 1.) 4 –3 e série.

Zool, T. XX (Cahier no 6.) 4. This is further confirmed by the British Library copy call (P) EP 00 -F(7) of tome XX, which is bound with six original wrappers, all dated 1853. A contribution to this volume is the “Mémoires sur famille Ocypodiens, suite 1”, pp. 163–224, pls 4–11 by Henri Milne Edwards.

This major contribution to brachyuran taxonomy described many new genera and species which are all traditionally given the date of authority as 1853. The work, however, was published in two parts, Annales des Sciences Naturelles, 20 (3): 163–192, pls 4–5 and 20 (4), 193–224, pls 6–11; (Cahier no 3.) 4 and (Cahier no 4.) 4 respectively. This present study provides evidence that part 3, 163–192, pls 4–5 was published in December 1853 and part 4, 193–224, pls 6–11 in January 1854.

Consequently, the valid taxa in part 3 correctly have the date of authority as 1853 compared to the taxa described in part 4, which should now have an authority of 1854. The taxa described by Henri Milne Edwards in Ann. Sci.

Nat., Zool. 3 e série, XX (3–4) are provided with an up-to-date synonymy with additional remarks where necessary.