70 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



P. nivalis breeds, Messrs. Murdock and Smith, of Lieutenant Ray's 

 party, having brought back with them from Point Barrow numerous 

 specimens of the latter, together with the nests and eggs. 



The fully adult male may be at once distinguished from that of P. 

 nivalis by the total absence of black except on the terminal third (or 

 less) of the primaries and near the ends of the middle rectrices. In P. 

 nivalis the primaries are black nearly to the base, the aluUTe, primary 

 coverts, and tertials also black (though bordered with white), the dorsal 

 region mainly black (wholly black in summer), and the six middle 

 rectrices black to the base. The rusty wash is also much paler in the 

 new form. 



In its summer plumage, the entire plumage, except the black quill- 

 tips, would evidently be snow-white, the bill black instead of yellow. 



The females are distinguished from those of P. nivalis by their much 

 paler coloration, with the dark markings far more restricted, and the 

 rusty wash of the winter diess much less distinct. All of the four spe- 

 cimens of this sex have the back white, more or less tinged or stained 

 with yellowish (more rusty on the scapulars), and narrowly streaked 

 with black, although these streaks are nearly obsolete in one specimen. 



The vernacular name of this new species is bestowed in memory of 

 Mr. Charles L. McKay, who sacrificed his life in the prosecution of nat- 

 ural history investigations in Alaska, and in whose collections the new 

 species was first noticed. The specific name hyimrhoreus needs no expla- 

 nation. 



ON THE USE OF TRINOMINALS IN AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 

 ^ By I^KOIVHARD STEJIVEOEB. 



Ornithological trinominals, although at present more (jenerally em- 

 ployed in America than elsewhere, are neither an American invention 

 nor were they first applied in America to the extent which they are now 

 occupying in this country. 



That trinominals for varieties occasionally are found in some early 

 works, even in those of Linnaeus, is of very little significance, although 

 Pallas came pretty near being a trinomiualist in the modern sense of the 

 word. Nor do I intend in this connection to call attention to the numer- 

 ous trinominals of C. L. Brehm, as he used them in a somewhat different 

 sense from what we do. 



The father of modern trinominalism in ornithology was the famous 

 Swedish ornithologist, Carl Sundevall, who in 1840 commenced to treat 

 systematically the ill-defined species as geographical varieties, which 

 he provided with a third name in addition to the specific appellation. 

 Of groups treated by him in that manner may be quoted the genera 

 Acanthis, Budytcs, LagopuSj.Bendroeca and the family Picida\ He him- 

 self styled these varieties " local forms" or " races," as an example of 



