In a previous paper on the publishing history of George Johnston’s A History of the British Zoophytes, an accurate publication-date of Johnston’s earlier article, “A catalogue of the zoophytes of Berwickshire”, was not ascertainable with certainty. It was published in part IV of the first (un-numbered) volume of History of the Berwickshire Naturalists’ Club, the title-page of which is misleadingly dated 1834. The parts are not dated, but based on rather doubtful evidence, some authors have considered part IV to have been published in 1836, others in 1837. Evidence presented herein establishes the year of publication of part IV as 1837, no later than 5 February. This has consequences for the current status of five family-group names of the phyla Cnidaria and Bryozoa listed in the World Register of Marine Species. Thus, the families listed therein as Campanulariidae Johnston, 1836 and Corynidae Johnston, 1836 (Cnidaria: class Leptolida) should be dated 1837; Hydridae Dana, 1846 (Cnidaria: class Leptolida) should be attributed instead to Johnston, 1837; and Alcyonidiidae Johnston, 1838 (Bryozoa: class Gymnolaemata) and Tubuliporidae Johnston, 1838 (Bryozoa: class Stenolaemata) should be dated 1837
