200 THE FISHES OF BRITAIN, 



(vol. iv., page 200) but sub-genera ? — so called, at least, by some ; 

 Svvainson contends that the smallest divisions should be called sub- 

 genera : I, however, coincide with the more widely spread and de- 

 fensible plan of Selby, that genera should continue to be used in 

 the same sense as heretofore, from the time of Ray to the present 

 day, namely, as the smallest division, and that the next in rank 

 (corresponding to the genera of Swainson's Northern Zoology) 

 should be named Domus, which is between the section (sub-family 

 of some) and the genus. At page 279, vol. iv., our critic objects 

 to, and gravely argues against, removing the Bearded Pinnoc ( Ca- 

 lamqfilus biarmicus) from the Tits (Varus) ! The writer of the 

 interesting article on British Oology in the last number — an arti- 

 cle written in the true spirit of a Naturalist — has not condemned 

 this error a whit too severely. It would be waste of time to argue 

 the matter, but I may refer the writer to the highly instructive and 

 pleasing article on the subject in Partington's Cyclopaedia of Natu- 

 ral History. So much for the first charge, and till the second is 

 supported by facts, it must be supposed to be as spurious as its twin 

 brother. 



At the same time that 1 expose unfounded and thoughtlessly 

 advanced charges, I shall be most happy to receive hints or 

 suggestions of any kind, as expressed in a former paper. I have 

 but little doubt of the principle here advocated being ultimately 

 triumphant, and it has already made its way into some of the peri- 

 odicals, especially in the youngest and most promising of the tribe, 

 The Naturalist. I have several corrections myself to make, as 

 Surnia for Nictea, and Aluco for Surnia (see errata, vol. iv., page 

 350) ; glandarius for the Bee- eater was, of course, an oversight. 

 Locustell is better than Brakehopper, which will do for Dumetella 

 felivox, — the Cat Thrush of Latham. The best British name for 

 the genus Silvia is Willet, an unexceptionable appellation. The 

 Garden Willet (Silvia melodia, Blyth) is a familiar example. Siskin 

 is preferable to Gold wing (see vol. iii., page 32). Mr. Blyth has 

 proposed Alp for Coalhood (Pirula). Poppin is the name of a 

 genus in the Parrot family ; so that the Crisoptilus may be called 

 by the common name YafFel. Selby, in his Pigeon family, page 

 170, satisfactorily proves the Cream-coloured Dove (Peristera riso- 

 ria) to be the Turtle Dove mentioned in the Bible ; and thus it 

 appears the translators were not so careful as they should have been 

 in matters of Natural History. The real Turtle Dove (Peristera 

 iurtur) is a British species, while the Cream-coloured Dove is a do- 

 mesticated favourite of the ladies. 



