1910] The Ottawa Naturalist. 227 



without circumstantial detail is open to question. So rare a 

 specimen should be located and verified bv the highest 

 authorities. 



The record of the Wilson's Plover is open to similar criticism, 

 and for a Canadian list it would seem as thoui^di the basis of the 

 published habitat should l)e stated. 



Again with regard to the Black Rail, the three records given 

 are none of them thoroughly reliable; one was a bird seen in 

 flight ; another refers to the taking of a number of specimens 

 in the Dundas Marsh, which ha\'e since proved to be the Virginia 

 Rail; and the third depends upon the ability of a gentleman, 

 the honesty of v\'hose intentions is not open to question, but 

 who may have fallen into the same error as did Mr. Nash re- 

 garding the Virginia Rail. 



The record of the White-winged Black Tern, which is also 

 a sight record of birds seen on the wing, is another fair mark for 

 criticism. The fact that Black Terns, as well as other species 

 of the family, are known to carry over into the second year 

 parts of the juvenal plumage, and that the bend of the wing 

 appears white in flight renders sight records of these species 

 more liable to error than would otherwise be the case. 



The authors are to be congratulated on having preferred 

 the long used English names, instead of following the changes 

 which the A.O.U. Committee of Revision are attempting to 

 foist upon the ornithological world. Alterations in scientific 

 names have been so frequent and widespread that there is a 

 tendency to cease referring to them, and to use only the English 

 names which have been so far perfectly stable, bvit when the 

 Committee endeavors to attach to the English names that 

 changeableness which ha.'^ so long been characteristic of the 

 scientific names, it is time for the rank and file of ornithologists 

 to refuse to follow their lead. The laws which have been made 

 to govern the application of scientific names, have doubtless 

 required the making of the changes that have occurred, but 

 these laws do not govern the English names, nor is it likely that 

 they will be followed by the bulk of students. Furthermore 

 manv students will prefer, and will use, the old style of possessive 

 names for such birds, as Wilson's Thrush. The present catalogue 

 follows the newly suggested method of omitting the possessive 

 which would sometimes lead us into serious trouble; for instance, 

 if a thrush were named for James Brown and the name were 

 spelt after the newlv suggested manner, it would l)e the "Brown 

 Thrush," which would certainly lead to confusion.'^W^'"^^^^ ?^ 



It would appear that in publishing the present edition, 

 current literature has not been scanned as closelv as it might 



