On the Orthography of some Birds' Names. 4 lO 



I have great hopes that when the warm weather sets in I shall 

 be able to add a large number of species to my list. The 

 time at my disposal for excursions to the forests is limited, 

 as we are almost daily employed in making roads for the pas- 

 sage of the artillery. Consequently the valley has not been 

 any thing like explored, and doubtless a great number of 

 species exists even now which I have not as yet observed. 



By the time that I have materials for a second contribu- 

 tioUj T hope to be able to give information about the nidi- 

 fication of many of the species which appear to be going 

 to breed here. 



Since writing the above (12th May) I have found Acro- 

 cephalus dumetorum, Blyth, near the camp. It appears to 

 have just arrived. 



(26th May.) Nests obtained as yet are those of Emberizu 

 stewarti and a Phylloscopus, sp., also of Sitta leucopsis, from 

 which I hope to get its eggs. I have found nests in process 

 of building of Cyornis ruficauda and Muscicapa grisola, which 

 arrived about three weeks since. I have also got a nest of 

 Turdus hodgsuni with four young ones. Large numbers of 

 Turtur rupwola have come in. 



XL. — On the Orthography of some Birds' Names. 

 By Henry T. Wharton, M.A., F.Z.S. 



Now that the advance of science is so rapid^ and the number 

 of names employed in every branch of zoology is undergoing 

 a proportionate multiplication, it is more than ever important 

 that every name that obtains currency should be so correctly 

 formed and spelt that no one who has occasion to use such 

 a name hereafter should have any ground for modifying its 

 aspect as promulgated by its original user. 



That names, as originally proposed, should have the ad- 

 vantage of subsequent criticism, the following recommenda- 

 tion is given in § 14 of the Stricklandian code : — '' When a 

 name has been erroneously written, and its orthography has 

 been afterwards amended, we conceive that the authority of 



