112 Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, ^c. 



as all the species have been previously named by Mr. Blyth in his 

 * Report/ published in the previous Number of the same Journal, 

 it would have been better not to have given Major Tickell's 

 manuscript names, which are merely useless synonyms." 



I feel very sure you wctuld not have made that remark had 

 you been aware of the particulars of the case ; I will therefore 

 furnish you with them. 



On my return from the expedition in the Tenasserim hills, 

 described in the " Itinerary," I sent to the Museum, of which Mr. 

 Blyth is curator, a box of birds' skins, containing several species, 

 not " supposed," but " believed " and in fact known to be new ; 

 and to each of these hitherto undescribed birds I appended the 

 specific name, which I, as the discoverer and first describer of 

 the birds, had, of course, a right to give. These names were 

 entered in a list sent with the box, and I mentioned to Mr. 

 Blyth that the descriptions of them would shortly follow. 



Mr. Blyth, however, at once reported upon the birds to the 

 Society, and named them himself. He certainly wrote to me 

 regarding the propriety of altering some of the trivial names, 

 but not till the deed was done, and my assent or dissent 

 equally unavailing; consequently, when the appendix to my 

 "Itinerary" was published, my names appeared as "useless 

 synonyms." 



Without imputing to Mr. Blyth (from whom I have to ac- 

 knowledge often receiving much assistance and valuable informa- 

 tion) a desire to appropriate my discoveries as his own, it is 

 evident that the somewhat hasty publication of his list deprives 

 me of a right which etiquette in these matters has always re- 

 cognized. It would be better justice in all cases, I think, if the 

 name of the discoverer should always be recorded instead of that 

 of the mere namer. Long-established custom, however, has 

 decided otherwise; but it would be hard indeed if the person 

 who was both discoverer and describer should not have his name 

 attached to his contributions ! 



I annex a list of the birds to which I lay claim as discovered 

 by myself. Some of these have been named by Mr. Blyth, and 

 must so remain, as I either had no leisure to describe them 

 myself before they reached his hands, or sent them to him 



