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the bird may then be conveyed — so far, at least, as it is possible to do so briefly 

 in any two compounded words. It need not be stated, that no generic name 

 should be contradictory of the existing circumstances of any of its species. 



But to pass on to the second class of names — the specific. In the first place, 

 the last mentioned postulate is required also in their case, and if modern discove- 

 ries should prove an error in any existing name, that is quite sufficient reason for 

 its alteration ; at the same time all due deference should be paid to the original 

 composer, and chief of all to Linneus ; and if some portion of the original name 

 can be retained by alteration, instead of an entirely new one being formed, it 

 would in all cases, I should say, be desirable. 



Secondly, the specific name should express, to the fullest possible extent, the 

 peculiar characteristics of the bird ; but if a name already existing is unobjection- 

 able in other respects, and has no other fault than that of not conveying so clear a 

 meaning as some other new name, I do not think that a sufficient reason for alter- 

 ing the original one. 



Thirdly, the specific name should not be founded on a generic character ; if 

 it is, that is quite enough to authorize its alteration. 



Fourthly, the same specific name should not be used twice in the same genus, 

 nor indeed twice at all, supposing that to be possible, as I think it is ; but this is 

 a point which may admit of some doubt. 



Fifthly, they ought to express some peculiarity distinct from that of any other 

 species in the same genus ; nor should they be derived from similarity of appearance 

 to some other species, but rather from the habitat, food, or general appearance of 

 the kind they represent. 



Finally, I would urge that specific and generic names should be classical ; and 

 if any one think this a matter of minor importance, I would refer him to either of 

 the classes in zoology, and then to determine whether the unintelligible barba- 

 risms which will everywhere offend his eye and ear (if he has been at all used to 

 more orthodox combinations) and the absolute jargon of such semi-graeco-latino- 

 anglio forms as there abound, do not call loudly for " reform." What are we to 

 think, for example, of erythrinus, pellucidator, torquilla, lacteator, rninutorius, 

 pectoratorius, hyalinata, frondescent'm, nuficapitella, hyppolais, suhhimacu- 

 lella, punctaurella, etc., etc., all of erroneous construction ? names selected at 

 random, belonging to a class which contains thousands of equally offending species, 

 and hundreds which offend ten times more grossly. Unhappily, the evil has taken 

 such extensive root, that a man must possess no ordinary degree of perseverance 

 who would sit down to revise and correct the whole list ; but something, it is evi- 

 dent, should be done, and I think the existence of the evil alluded to in any spe- 

 cies to be quite a sufficient reason for its alteration. It must be understood as 

 professed, in forming our nomenclatures at all from the Greek and Latin lan- 

 guages, that some propriety should be observed in the formation, and when this is 



