134 Hkxsiiaw on the Hermit Thrush. 



character not infrequently occur far to the eastward or westward, 

 in the very "heart" of the region where the typical form prevails. 

 Now Colaptes aurntnx and C. mexicanus differ from each other much 

 more, in their typical state, than do very many congeneric species 

 between which intergradation is not known (e. g. the small Thrushes, 

 of the subgenus Hylocichla, many of the FringUlidoe, and numerous 

 other groups) ! Formerly, these intermediate specimens were sup- 

 posed to be hybrids; but it is difficult to conceive of hybridization 

 on such an immense scale. Now what is to be done in this case ' 

 Probably very few ornithologists would be willing to call the whole 

 series simply C. auratus, while, on the other hand, since they prove 

 not to be specifically distinct, it is obviously wrong to imply such 

 distinctness by the use of a specific name in each case. 



It seems to me, that Linnaeus himself has shown us how to solve 

 the difficulty. Had the facts as above stated been known to him, 

 he would doubtless have called the whole series C. auratus, at the 

 same time calling the western (red-shafted) form "/?. mexicanus," 

 and the intermediate series, y. hybridus or ayresii (allowing him, of 

 course, the choice of names, only the first-named form being at that 

 time known). 



To sum up, it having been found necessary to name every true 

 race or subspecies, I have found the method indicated by Linnaeus, 

 as described above, to be more simple than any other, and to answer 

 every requirement of the case. By adopting this plan, the tpiestion 

 of nomenclature becomes very much simplified, while it expresses 

 better than any other yet tested the relative rank of the forms 

 which have to be recognized by Dame. 



REMARKS UPON TURDUS PALLAS1 AND ITS VARIETIES. 



BY II. W. HEN8HAW. 



The study of our small Olive-back Thrushes (Hyheichlit) has, 

 from the times of the earliest writers, involved many interesting 

 points, doubtless because of the general resemblance possessed in 

 common by all the forms, and the resulting difficulties aud confu- 

 sion in the way of their identification, and in the proper application 

 of the various names that from time to time have been bestowed 

 upon each of the several members of the group. 



