HOW BIRDS ARE NAMED 



Birds have two kinds of names. One is a common, vernacular, or popular 

 name ; the other is a technical or scientific name. The first is usually given to 

 tin living bird by the people of* the country it inhabits. The second is 

 applied to specimens of birds by ornithologists who classify them. 



Common names in their origin and use know no law. Technical names 

 are bestowed under the system of nomenclature established by Linnaeus and 

 their formation and application are governed by certain definite, generally 

 accepted rules. The Linnaean system, as it is now employed by most 

 American ornithologists, provides that a bird, in addition to being grouped in 

 a certain Class, Order, Family, etc., shall have a generic and specific name 

 which, together, shall not be applied to any other animal. 

 Our Robin, therefore, is classified and named as follows: 



CLASS AVES, Birds. 



ORDER PASSERES, Perching Birds. 

 Sub-order Oscines, Singing Perching Birds. 

 Family Turdidcz Thrushes. 

 Sub-family 7 urdina' Thrushes. 

 Genus, Planesticus, Thrushes. 

 Speciks. migratorius American Robin. 



The Robin's distinctive scientific name, therefore, which it alone pos- 

 sesses, is Planesticus migratorius. There are numerous other members of the 

 genus Planesticus, but not one of them is called migratorius, and this com- 

 bination of names, therefore, is applied to only one bird. 



4 



