NOVJTATES ZOOLOGICAE XXV. lOlS. 363 



THE CORRECT NAME OF THE GARDEN WARBLER. 



In my book on the Palaearctic Bii-ds, and later in British Birds, I have shown 

 that the name hortensis is undoubtedly that of the Orphean Warbler, and that 

 borin is the correct name of the Garden \^'arbler. Now Messrs. Hellniayr and 

 Laubmann (Nomencl. Vog. Bayerns, 1916, p. 11, and Verh. Orn. Ges. Bayern, xiii. 

 i. p. 99) following Kleinschmidt, 1913, have adopted the name Sylvia hippolais 

 (L.), i.e. MotacillaHippolaishum-dous,Syst.Nat.ed.x. i. p. 185 (1785 — " Europa," 

 with the restricted terra typica Sweden). While one may argue about the 

 name ficedula, if one considers the diagnosis sufficient and disregards all quota- 

 tions, there is no argument, in ray opinion, about the name hippolais, which 

 cannot be referred to the Garden W^arbler. The diagnosis of Linne is : " Mota- 

 cilla vu'escente-cinerea, subtus ilavescens, abdomine albido, artubus fuscis." 

 His references are only three : Fauna Svecica, No. 234, Aldrovandi, and Rajus. 

 In the Fauna Svecica, p. 87, the diagnosis is the same as in the Sysi. Nat., but 

 a fuller description is added, in which it is queried if this is not the female of 

 Sylvia curruca, the wings are described "as ferrugineous (" alae clausae sujjra 

 ferrugmeae, remiges margine exteriore ferrugineae sunt"), the rectrices as 

 having partially pale tips. Now the upperside should, in my opinion, not be 

 described as " virescente cinerea," the wings have no ferrugineous, the rectrices 

 have no pale tips. Therefore the diagnosis does not fit the Garden Warbler, 

 in fact it refers partially to the Whitethroat. Now let us turn to Aldrovandi : 

 there, on p. 759, a bhd is described which Ls greyish brown (" ex cinereo 

 fuscescens "), with a yellowish breast (" jiectus lutescit ") and black feci (" pedes 

 nigri sunt "), and on p. 760 this bird is figured with black feet, but the figure 

 would do for many kinds of Sylvia and others, and is of no use. While the 

 general description of the colours might do, it is not in agreement w ith Linne's 

 diagnosis, and the feet are not at all black, but rather conspicuously bluish grey 

 or lead-grey. Therefore neither Linne's own diagnosis nor his quotations (Rajus 

 is the same as Aldrovandi's) refer to the Garden Warbler and the name can only 

 be quoted as a doubtful name of the AVhitethroat ! The argument that it is 

 the " Beccafico " of the Italians may be disregarded. This name is even now 

 applied to a number of Sylviae in the Oi'ient, in some places chiefly to the Black- 

 cap, and it was not likely a fixed application for any particular subsjaecies in 

 Aldrovandi's time — now over 300 years ago — and Aldrovandi says that he was 

 only told it was called Beccafico in Genoa. 



THE CORRECT NAME OF THE FRUIT-PIGEONS, 

 GENERALLY CALLED CARPOPHAGA. 



For a long time we used to call these Pigeons Carpophaga Selby, 1835, but 

 unfortunately that name has been found to be preoccupied by Billberg, who 

 introduced it in 1828. Therefore Richmond, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. xxxv. 

 p. 596 (1909), proposed to use Muscadivores Ciray. Cat. Gen. B. 1855, p. 98, but 

 this is incorrect, as Gray did not give that name, but quotes Muscadivores Less. 

 1831. Lesson, however, did not use the name as a generic title, but had only 

 the French nomination " Les Muscadivores." Gray's use of the supposed 

 Lessonian name is therefore an error, and Muscadivora Schlegel, Dierentuin, 

 p. 209, 1864, with full description, as a new name for Carpophaga is the only 

 genuine name for the Fruit-Pigeons. 



