1^2 An American Opinion Concerning Genera. risi"oct 



been discussed by the writer {Jour. Acad. Nat. Set. Phila.. xv., 

 p. 313) and by the British Ornithologists' Club at a recent meeting 

 (Bull. B.O.C., No. 204, p. 68 et seq.) In some gioups we have 

 already reached the stage where a large number of genera contain 

 but a single species each. The generic name has thus become of 

 exactly the same significance as the specific name, and is super- 

 fluous. The ultimate outcome of this sort of thing will be a 

 nomenclature wherein each species will have a name but no clue 

 whatever to its relationship will be found in this name. 



" Linnaeus's idea was that the 63 genera under which he 

 arranged all the birds known to him represented 63 types of bird 

 structure, and when the generic name was mentioned the general 

 character of the bird was immediately known, while the specific 

 name indicated a form of that type of bird. 



" Of course, we cannot go back to Linnaus, or anywhere near 

 to him, but we must, if a name is to be maintained as a name, 

 check the further subdivision of genera. Moreover, why is the 

 discovery of a slight structural difference of such paramount 

 importance that we should overturn our names to advertise it ? 

 Is it not just as important to emphasize relationship as divergence ? 

 Indeed, we are suffering at the present time in systematic orni- 

 thology for the need of some way to indicate relationship. We 

 shall soon be forced to erect a lot of sub-families to indicate 

 relationships formerly denoted by generic names which have now 

 been degraded until they are perilously close to species. 



" It should be borne in mind that a genus is not a definite thing 

 in the sense that a species is ; it is simply a group for convenience 

 — sometimes it is sharply defined, more often it is not. This fact 

 is well shown in the virtual agreement of the committees referred 

 to above as to the number of species before them and their wide 

 differences of opinion as to the number of genera. 



"It is difficult to provide a means for bringing about the 

 desired uniformity in the limits and number of generic groups, 

 but the necessity for such action should be strongly emphasized 

 and widely proclaimed." 



Observations on the Nankeen Night^Heron 

 (Nycticorax caledonicus). 



By S. a. Hanscombe, Seaham (N.S.W.) 



In the swampy regions of the Port Stephens district (N.S.W.), 

 extending from West Maitland and Newcastle north as far as 

 Bulladellah, many Nankeen Night-Herons [Nycticorax caledonicits) 

 are to be found. I have for three years lived in this remarkable 

 district, the home of numerous water-fowl. Unfortunately, many 

 gunners — I cannot in all cases say sportsmen — annually visit a 

 number of the isolated swamps and ruthlessly shoot birds — not 

 game birds, but anything with feathers. Night-Herons, at times. 



