CORRESPONDENCB. 117 



Among ornithologists, however, it is universally known by the name 

 ^' Snow Bunting CEmberiza nivalis) ;" and this name it continued 

 to bear, until Charles Bonaparte very judiciously separated it and 

 the E. lapponica to a new genus, under the name " Longspur" and 

 Plectrofanes (which is a Greek version of the English name). As 

 to " Snowfleck," of which your correspondent speaks, I suppose he 

 picked it up from Rennie's Montagu ; it is, of course, nothing but 

 a corruption of Snowflake. 



Your correspondent speaks of the radical changes, and wishes 

 some substantial reason for them ; he will surely admit that where 

 the evil is radical, the remedy must be so likewise. I have already 

 explained why Nightling was proposed, and surely no one can at 

 least object to the sound of this word ; but if the ear of the fastidi- 

 ous is offended at the name Madj, C. C. is welcome to propose ano- 

 ther more euphonical. I chose that name because it is well known 

 in many districts, and has thus an advantage over an entirely new 

 appellation. However, if any one will propose a better I shall be 

 happy to adopt it, for, as I observed in my former paper, " it is not 

 to individual things, but to broad principles, that I am attached." 



The objections made in the next paragraph are evidently the re- 

 sult of a confined view of the subject ; your correspondent has in 

 his mind only British ornithology. He says — " If I see the names 

 Kite, Nightjar, Kingfisher, and Dipper, I clearly understand what 

 is meant ; but when I see the name White \_Cinereous he should 

 have said] Kite, I am led to suppose that there must be another 

 Kite, of some other colour." There certainly are not other species 

 of Kite in Britain, but is that the only country the ornithology of 

 which deserves cultivation ? It is but a speck on the globe, though, 

 of course, to Britons its peculiar productions are, or ought to be, of 

 paramount interest : this is, however, no reason why the ornitho- 

 logy of other countries should be excluded. There are several other 

 species of Kite found in Kurope besides the Cinereous Kite, all of 

 which have English names, and it is, therefore, necessary that the 

 species found in Britain should have a distinctive appellation. 



I have now, I believe, answered most of the points on which 

 your correspondent founds his objections to my plan of nomenclature, 

 which will doubtless, on more mature consideration, meet with his 

 approbation. Any objection or amendment, by whoever suggested, 

 is deserving the attention of the naturalist ; and those who really 

 seek information with a desire to improve, will always find others 

 ready to assist them. 



I shall now advert to some remarks which occur in a review of 



