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 c. A legitimate name is one that conforms to all the nomenclatural rules.

d. A correct name of a taxon is that legitimate name which for a given taxon takes into consideration the boundaries or circumscription of the taxon. For example, if one author recognizes two species in a genus, each species will have a correct name determined by the application of the rules. Another author may unite the two into a single species, which will have a correct name under the rules.

6. Citation of authors and names.

a. It is customary in formal use of the name of a species to cite the name of the author, usually with the year of publication. This means exactly what it says, one cites the author of the name of the taxon being used. This is not necessarily the name of the author who first described the organism. For example, one cites Bacillus subtilis Cohn, 1872.

b. When a named species is transferred to another genus, the name of the author who proposed the specific epithet is inserted in parentheses between the new species name and the name of the author of the new combination. For example, Neisser and Kuschbert in 1883 named an organism Bacillus xerosis. Lehmann and Neumann in 1899 transferred this organism to their newly created genus Corynebacterium, correctly retaining the original specific epithet (as xerose to agree in gender with Corynebacterium), and the new combination is cited as Corynebacterium xerose (Neisser and Kuschbert, 1883) Lehmann and Neumann, 1899. Obviously citation of author and date with the name of an organism is necessary only when the organism is first mentioned in a publication.

7. Changes in names required by union or segregation of taxa.

a. When a genus is divided into two or more genera, the generic name must be retained for one of them. The generic name must be retained for the genus containing the type species.

b. When a species is divided into two or more species, the specific epithet must be retained for one of them. The specific epithet of the species containing the type must be retained for this species.

c. When a species is transferred from one genus to another, the specific epithet is retained unless the resulting species name is a later homonym or a tautonym or unless there is available an earlier validly published specific epithet.

8. Rejection and replacement of names.

a. A name or epithet must not be rejected, changed or modified merely because it is badly chosen or disagreeable, or because another is preferable or better known. Exceptions can be made only by international action through the Judicial Commission of the International Committee.

b. A name must be rejected if it is illegitimate, that is, if it is contrary to a rule. There are numerous defects which may make a name illegitimate, for example, it may have been superfluous when proposed. Exceptions can be made by international approval through action of the Judicial Commission.