294 CORRESPONDENCE. 



gill-opening on the side ; and there are two distinct ventral fins be- 

 hind the pectoral, which are frequently of large size, and, from their 

 resemblance to wings, have suggested the name by which the genus 

 is distinguished. The dorsal and anal fin are opposite each other. 

 The intestine, lodged in a cavity more broad and short than that of 

 the Syngnathi, forms two or three curvatures. The principal spe- 

 cies, at present known, are P. draco, — natans, — volans, and — 

 laternarius. The fir§t and second are figured in plate 22, of Bonna- 

 terre's Ichthyologie. 



Birmingham, June 12, 1836. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



To the Editor of The Analyst, 

 Sir, 



Being anxious for the advancement of Natural History, I shall 

 always be ready to explain difficulties which may be experienced by 

 any of your correspondents, and be happy to remove unfounded ob- 

 jections which may be adduced either through ignorance or thought- 

 lessness ; and with this view I shall advert to a paper by ^Ir. 

 Neville Wood, at page 109 of your last number. 



The objections first brought forward relate principally to the 

 sound of the names proposed in the list in vol. iii., p. 200. In this 

 particular, much will depend on taste ; a fact which Mr. N. Wood 

 seems to have overlooked. He states that "few will object to 

 Pern," but that " the fastidious will not readily assent to Surn," 

 (from the Latin SurniaJ. I should think such a " fastidious" ob- 

 jection as this deserving of but slight attention, even if advanced, 

 which I think very unlikely. Mr. Wood will, however, find, by 

 looking to the errata, that the latter name is not adopted. The 

 name Toad-eater (the "Great Horned Owl" of authors), has not 

 found more favor in the sight of our critic. Why, then, does he 

 not object to Worm-eater, affixed, by Swainson, to a genus of birds 

 in the Warbler family, or to Snake-eater, given to the Secretary 

 Vulture of Latham. Again, Abern is pronounced to be unobjec- 

 tionable; but Aptern, from the Latin Apternis, is a "vulgar. 



