SYSTEMATICALLY ARRANGED. 215 



country in which a bird is discovered. Such names can only be 

 given, with propriety, when a bird is found exclusively/ in a coun- 

 try, not inhabited by another of the same genus. Thus, the Red 

 Ptarmigan (Lagopus Scoticus, Leach), is, I believe, found only in 

 Britain ; but then, other birds of the genus are, also, found in the 

 same island : thus the term " British" and " BrUannicus,'* to which 

 it would otherwise be entitled, is inapplicable. The practice of giv- 

 ing the names of persons has, also, been discountenanced. " In sci- 

 ence, the practice of distinguishing persons rather ihoxi facts ought 

 to be discarded," says Mr. Jennings, and I fully concur in the re- 

 mark. '' Common" and " vulgaris" are, also, objectionable specific 

 titles ; for a bird which is common in one country may be very rare, 

 and, perhaps, not found at all, in another. *' Great" (rnagnusji and 

 '^ little" (parvus), and "greater" (major), and *' lesser" (minor), 

 are, also, objectionable; for another species maybe discovered which 

 is yet greater, or smaller, than that to which the epithet is applied. 

 Such generic names as Yhi\ome\oides, "^levuioides, Milv?/ZM^, Xiani- 

 ellus^ should, also, be avoided, as implying a relationship to those ge- 

 nera from which the names are derived, namely, Philomela, Merula, 

 Milvus, and Lanius, Such compounds as Hdliaetos, Chrysaetos, 

 Gj^aetos, Montif ringilla, Nycticorax, are inadmissible ; for a ge- 

 neric name should not be a compound of a generic and specific (as 

 those are), but a generic only. 



The specific name should not be founded on a generic character^ 

 We frequently see " Loxia curvirostra :" the term crucirostra, how- 

 ever, applies equally to all the Crossbills (Crucirostrce), and has 

 been very properly used as a generic name by Wilson, Cuvier, and 

 others. We frequently, also, see " Common Avoset ( Recurvirostra 

 avosetta,/' " Black Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax cormoranus)," &c. ; 

 this is making the Ehglish generic name into the specific one in 

 Latin : it would be preferable to write Avosetta atricapilla, and 

 Cormoranus carho. Authors, likewise, frequently give generic and 

 specific names, which have the same meaning conveyed in difierent 

 languages ; for example, Erythaca rubecula, Caryocatactes nucifra- 

 ga, Phasnicura ruticilla : it would be acting more in accordance with 

 reason to name these birds thus, — Rubecula familiaris, Nucifraga 

 punctata, Ruticilla luscinia, Mr. Blyth says : *' For reasons already 



