°go6 'J From Magazines, &c. 173 



Generic Name-Changes. — The same number notices H. 

 C. Oberholser's " Notes on the Nomenclature of Certain Genera 

 of Birds." Dwuueus (Vieillot) is shown to be properly 

 Dromiceius, the form first used by Vieillot, who did not use 

 Di'oviceus ; ''N anodes (V. and H.) being preoccupied, a substitute 

 is found in EiipJiema (Wagler)." 



Priority in Nomenclature. — Discussing the "Rules of 

 Zoological Nomenclature," drawn up by Messrs. Blanchard, von 

 Maehrenthal, and Stiles, and published this year in Paris, TJie 

 Ibis deprecates the present universal deference to the law of 

 priorit)', and gives three cases where it should not be adhered 

 to, viz. — (i) Where the earlier name violates the rules of Latin 

 grammar ; (2) where the earlier name is obviously incorrect, 

 such as the specific name '■ capensis " as applied to a South 

 American bird (no " capes " in South America ?) ; and (3) where 

 the specific name has subsequently become generic as well — 

 instance, the English Magpie, which under the reign of the sub- 

 species and the law of priority becomes Pica pica pica. The 

 last does seem absurd ; but Australians are a people economic 

 of exertion, and if we have to rename our type Magpie on 

 the same lines he will probably become Gymnorhina^, while a 

 new Honey-eater recently observed on Kangaroo Island by 

 the expedition of the Aust. O.U. would rejoice in the name of 

 MelitJireptiis brevirostris viagnirostris — a contradiction in specific 

 terms. " It is far better," says The Ibis, " to throw ' priority ' 

 aside in such cases, and to employ the next earliest name, as 

 enacted in the original Stricklandian code." 



Among the papers read before the F.N.C. of Victoria on i ith 

 December was one by Mr. T. S. Hall, M.A., on " New Rules of 

 Zoological Nomenclature." This dealt concisely with the com- 

 plicated (virtually abnormal) phases of the question — the 

 difficulty arising from the same name being applied to plant, 

 animal, or bird, and the author evidently had a leaning to the 

 often-expressed idea that all names of sub-species, species, or 

 genus be submitted to the revision of a competent committee. 



Australian Quails Breeding in England. — Mr. D. 

 Seth-Smith, F.Z.S., succeeded in getting the Painted Quail 

 {Turfiix varia) to breed in his aviary, and contributes an 

 interesting article on the same in TJie Avicultiiral Magazine 

 for August last. In March he purchased a pair of birds fresh 

 from Australia. They soon became tame. Early in May the 

 coo-like note of the female was frequently heard, and Mr. Seth- 

 Smith recorded in his diary: — "Noticed the female display to 



