72 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



nals, besides 92 subspecies designated by trinomiiials aud quadrinomi- 

 nals ; in other words, for every 5| binoraiuals we find 1 tri- or quadri- 

 noininal ; quite a progress since Scblegel's list! 



A few quotations from this "check-list" will convince us that the 

 theory of the geographical races and the applications of the rules now 

 en vogue here in America were thoroughly understood aud employed. 

 '■'■Falco peregrinuf Brisson. — Eur. 



^?. anatum Bp. — Am. 



y. melanogenys Gld. — Oceauica. 



6. lyeregrinaior Sund. — Asia. 



f. minor Schleg. — Afr. 

 Cinclus aquaticus, Briss. — Ceutr. South. Eur. 



;5. melanogaster Brhm. — Korth. " 



y. leucogaster Eversm. — " As. 



d. pallasii Temm. — ^. As. 

 Loxia curvirostra L. — Eur. 



,'i. americana Wils. — N. Am. 

 L. Jeucoptem Gm. — X. Am., Engl. 



,'i. taenioptcra Glog. — X. Eur. 

 Cliaradrius pluviaUs L. — N. Eur. 



yJ. virginicm Bk, — X. Am. 



y. longipes T. — As." 

 Etc., etc. 



As already mentioned, in some instances he applies quadrinominals, 

 an example of which may be given here: 

 ^^Budytesjiavus L. — Eur. 



a. melanocephalus Lcht. — S. Eur. 



jS. Tcalemczenckii Andr. — E. S. Eur. 

 6. horealis Sund. — X. Eur. 



/5. cinereocapiUus Savi. — Centr. & S. Eur. 

 •(. HavuH L. — Eur. 

 c. flaveolus Gld. — Centr. & W. Eur. 

 /?. campesiris Pall, — E. Eur." 

 Blasius's List of the Birds of Europe was not the first iu which tri- 

 nominals were used, nor was it the last. It was followed by the "Con- 

 spectus Systematicus and Geographicus Avium Europa^aruni, Auctore 

 Alph. Dubois," which was published in 1871, a year before Coues's Key. 

 " Varietates climacterica; cum litteris italicis sunt impressie et comitatie 

 littera grpeca." Five hundred aud seventy-five species, designated by 

 binominals, are enumerated plus 125 "climatic varieties," designated by 

 triuomiuals, or 1 trinominal for every 4| binominals. 



In the mean time the American ornithologists had not failed to ai)pre- 

 ciate the advantages, or rather the dire necessity, of trinominals for 

 geographical races iu many cases. John Cassin is j)robably the first 

 American writer using trinominals, as he as early as 1854, distinguished 



