360 NOVITATES ZOOLOGICAE XXV. 1918. 



For nomenclators the book is, unfortunately, of some importance, as the 

 author has deemed it necessary to create a number of new generic names, because 

 he does not admit tautology, and considers it more important to preserve the 

 oldest specific name than the first generic name. Nor does he use trinomials, 

 adding the term var. in order to avoid three names — the result being that 

 instead of the shorter and simpler Corvus corax hispanns, for example, he uses 

 the more cumbersome Corvus corax, var. hispana ! 



As the " Rules of Nomenclature " sanction trinomials and tautonymy, even 

 as far as trmomial, the new names invented by Navas are mere synonyms. The 

 following occur in the thirty-twO pages so far published : 



Melanopica, new name for Pica, to avoid Pica pica, no other generic term 

 being available. (Page 8.) 



Pycnorhinus, new name for Coccothraustes. (Page 12.) 



CJilorindus, new name for Seriniis Koch. (Page 16.) 



Pyrrhia, new name for Pyrrhida. (Page 16.) 



On page 26, a new name for the Spanish subspecies of Alauda arvensis, 

 'probably found in the whole penmsula," based on examples from Aragon, 

 is given thus : 



" Var. hesperica var. nov." Said to differ from the typical form by a longer, 

 and more pointed bUl, ocliraceous breast with deep brown longitudinal spots 

 which are larger in the male. Outer tail-feather white with a black stripe along 

 the mner edge of the inner web, the next black with a white border to the outer 

 web. Wing 102-112, tail 65-73, bill IS'S mm. Full Latin diagnosis, but the 

 items mentioned seem to be the only ones that might not be found in every 

 Skylark. 



Misprints are frequent in Mr. Navis' book. Apart from the constant 

 Hartet instead of Hartert, which cannot be a misprint, I noticed : p. 24, 

 " Leissler" instead of Leisler ; p. 27, Lulula instead of Lullida ; p. 27, Motacilidos 

 instead of ilotacUlidos ; p. 30, Montacilla instead of MotaciUa ; p. 32, Tychodroma 

 instead of Tichodroma, Sitta evropae instead of europaea. 



I am greatly obliged to Mr. Longinos Navas for kindly sending me a copy 

 of his Ornithologia de Aragon, which I had not seen before. 



(Talking of misprints and slips — it seems that they are more frequent 

 recently than in former years, not excepting my own publications. I have seen 

 A goodly number in the recent parts of the Journal fiir Ornithologie and 

 Monalsberichte, and a few in almost allthe other journals, buteven in Mr. Mathews's 

 carefully edited Austral Avian Record (which I would have called " Australian 

 Avian Record") and in his great work Birds of Australia there are more than 

 usual. 1 quote a few, with a view to a list of corrections : 



A nstr. Av. Rec. iii. p. <)3, " Hubner " instead of Hiibner ; p. 68, " Saupopatis " 

 instead of Satiropatis ; [). 69, line 2 from the bottom, " p. 226 " instead of 221 ; 

 p. 126, " Gemeinpriitz " instead of gemeinniitz., " Austandes " instead of Aus- 

 landes, " Schiilen " instead of Schulen ; p. 121, " nomena " instead of nomma, 

 " Vogel " instead of Vogd, " Kamp" instead of Kaup ; p. 117, " Eulor ' instead 

 of Euolor. 



Time does not permit to quote more, but I shall always be pleased if my 

 own slips are pointed out to me, though mostly, I believe, I discover them 

 myself — when it is too late. — " Semper comis sed nunquam otiosus ! '") 



