xii PREFACE TO FOURTH EDITION. 



it does not seem logical to overthrow Dr. Coues's work by arbi- 

 trarily fixing a type locality for Catesby. (Cf. Stone, Auk, 1929, 

 451.) 



Spelling. Original spelling has been followed in all cases 

 except as follows: 



(1) Specific names, obviously adjectives, have been made to 

 agree in termination with the gender of their genus — us, a, 

 um — and where the gender is in doubt we have followed the usage 

 of the original author if he has given any indication. Where there 

 is reason to think that the specific name is a substantive, from the 

 point of view of the original describer, it is so regarded — i.e. 

 erythrogaster is not changed to erythrogastra or erythrogastris, and 

 where there is decided difference of opinion no change from cur- 

 rent usage has been made. 



(2) Proper names in the genitive are all spelled with a single 

 "i" added to the name, thus avoiding the constant doubt as 

 to whether a given name originally terminated in "i" or "ii." 

 This follows the plan adopted in the third edition. In a few 

 cases the terminal "ii" appears, but these are not exceptions 

 since in all of them the personal name in the nominative ends in 

 "i,"' i.e. Botteri, Craveri, Mauri, Turati. 



In the case of Asyndesmus lewis the specific name is regarded as 

 a substantive in the nominative exactly comparable to Calypte 

 anna and Meleagris gallopavo osceola. 



(3) Diphthongs are written as separate letters except in the 

 original reference. In all cases involving the identity or differ- 

 ence of two names of slightly different spelling the A. 0. U. Code 

 is followed as far as it goes and in debatable instances current 

 usage is adopted, until we have some definite rulings on the 

 matter. 



Accents. Mr. Charles F. Batchelder has kindly checked over 

 all of the accents both of new names and of those in the third 

 edition, in a few of which he has pointed out obvious errors. In 

 cases of specific names which are proper names in the genitive 

 the accent has usually followed that of the proper name unless the 

 addition of the genitive "i" necessitates a slight change for the 

 sake of euphony, but in generic names based on proper names 

 often with supplementary syllables, euphony has demanded 

 accent according to classical usage. In the case of diphthongs 

 the accent is placed over the second vowel even if it be iv or y. 



