Wlirn<:~Ue-Hai,iin,i Australian liirds. 11 



Renaming Australian Birds. 



TO THE EDITORIAL COMMITTEE. 



In Vol. IV., I'ai't 1 of this Journal, Mr. A. J. Campbell 

 states that 1 have criticised his address ''somewhat biasedly." 

 Allow me to say that my statements were only in accordance 

 with up-to-date ornithology. I should now like to comment 

 upon Mr. Campbell's letter taking the salient points as they 

 there stand. 



1. Mr. Campbell quotes dictionaries and encyclopaedias, 

 as to nomenclature being a science, but I venture to say that 

 there are many things understood, which do not appear in such 

 literature, but which could be proved easily enough. The 

 iiauiiiig of birds in the vernacular may not be .scientific, but to 

 name them scientifically with scientific names is certainly so, 

 and therefore must be a science. 



2. I know a little about the Army and the Navy, Mr. 

 Campbell knows the Civil Service, and we all know that it is 

 the general practice that the officers move up as vacancies 

 occur in next of rank, but this is away from the point, for I 

 contend this has nothing to do with Ornithology, why bring it 

 in? 



3. Mr. Campbell is modifying his views now, when he says 

 ''a good starting point for some (the italics are mine) Aus- 

 tralian names, and those that are ornithologically correct," 

 for Mr. Campbell led us to believe John Gould was his rock- 

 bed priority. 



4. Mr. Campbell quotes Prof. Macgillivray upon John 

 Gould's works. He means at the time of their publication, but 

 every progressive Ornithologist knows we have outlived them, 

 and must have an up-to-date list. 



5. Mr. Campbell must know that John Gould redescribed 

 birds, which had been described years before him, and in Mr. 

 CampbelFs own words he says John Gould's scientific work is 

 obsolete, but in other ways he is not. 



0. Mr. Campbell should not state that I have made severe 

 reflections on biologi«'al professors, for he knows well enough 

 when T say "any Australian Ornithologist being deemed 

 worthy to sit on the National Committee," I mean members of 

 the old Rcbool of Ornithology. 



