CORRESPONDENCE. IH 



almost every part of the globe ; but otherwise it is highly objec- 

 tionable, for reasons adduced by S. D. W. himself. 



And here I cannot but deprecate the manner in which it has 

 pleased the able framer of this arrangement to spell many of the 

 Latin and English names. Thus, he has Nictea, Cipseh/s, Silvia^ 

 Coridalla, Colimhus, Cignus, S^c, for Nyctea, Cypselus, Sylvia, 

 Corydalla, Colymbus, Cygnus, &c. Likewise, " Chuf" for Chough, 

 " Cucoo" for Cuckoo, " Falarope" for Phalarope, " Cwail" for 

 Quail, and the like, — the advantage of which I cannot precisely 

 comprehend. Nor is S. D. W. satisfied with reforming the spelling 

 of the names of birds, but he has attacked the names of Naturalists, 

 having commenced with '^ Mister Mihi Stephens," by substituting 

 the letter v for the superfluous ones, ph ! I sincerely hope the 

 other worthies will escape uninjured from the hands of this " zeal- 

 ous reformer." Why, we should hardly know our old friends under 

 the names of Swansn, Selbi, Looin, Bekstin, JMiur, &c. ! S. D. Ws 

 " zeal" is really a little misplaced when he descends to such frivoli- 

 ties as these. 



I am, of course, well aware that the above are nothing better 

 than hints or " suggestions ;" but as S. D. W. courts these, I trust 

 he will consider them worthy of notice. In a popular work I now 

 have in preparation for the press, entitled The British Songsters, I 

 intend to discuss in detail the English designations of all the species 

 which will be described and figured ; and, what is of yet more im- 

 portance, the proper appellations will be employed throughout. 

 Until the improved English names are adopted in some popular 

 work, I conceive it will be of little avail to preach and demonstrate 

 principles. The organs of Imitation and Love of Approbation, are 

 far more active with the public than causality ; and, consequently, 

 authority will much sooner effect the introduction of an innovation 

 than the most subtle reasoning that can be adduced. For a speci- 

 men of the work above alluded to, see the Supplement o/" the OrnL 

 tkologist's Text Book, where, likewise, will be found a paper on No- 

 menclature, which was read before the Worcestershire Natural 

 History Society, Dec. 1, 1835. 



In conclusion, I may be allowed to observe, that the new princi- 

 ples of nomenclature, first alluded to in The Analyst, No. 10, are 

 now gradually winning their way into favour ; and I think we 

 have every reason to believe that they will ultimately be univer- 

 sally acknowledged in Britain, as they already are by our continen- 

 tal brethren. NEVILLE WOOD. 



Foston Hall, Derbyshire, Jan. 10, 1836. 



