298 



Sciences are made to take the place of pre-eminence 

 once held by the classics of the ancients. But those 

 amongst us who in post graduate life have grafted the 

 teachings of modern science on to the old stock of 

 classical training often feel that a member of the 

 3'ounger generation is likely to be somewhat at a loss 

 wheu handling those terms, derived from the dead 

 languages, which are used in all sciences as a kind of 

 universal exchange. What for instance does Lanius 

 exc2cbitor mean to such a one when he sees it attached 

 to the Great Grey Shrike? It means nothing: it is 

 but a mere formula — to him of the most empirical 

 character. But if he turns to Mr. Stonham's book he 

 finds, under the heading Laniidse, 



''Lanius, a butcher. The Shrikes have a habit of kilUug 

 their prey and spitting it on a thorn." 

 Further on, under the name of the particular member 

 in question of the family, he finds 



'■'■ Excubitor, a sentinel. This name was given to the Great 

 Grey Shrike by Linnseus because the Dutch falconers made 

 use of it to warn them of the approach of a hawk, which 

 they then captured by means of a decoy pigeon and bow- 

 net " 



Again, we are told that the name given to the 

 genus M2iscicapa is derived from nnisca, a fly, and capio, 

 I catch, and on turning to the Pied Flycatcher we see 

 that atracapilla is from aier, black, and capillus, the 

 hair of the head. 



All this may appear trivial to many elderly 

 and middle-aged survivals of the old school, but the 

 difficulties of the oncoming generation of naturalists 

 are by it at once abolished. The scientific names be- 

 come intelligible phrases, and not mere fragments of 

 jargon. 



