18 .UAT//J-:]VS~Orn!thnl,H,n„l Xon,e.vrUlt> 



customary to use a Latin phrase defining the object in conjunc- 

 tion with the vernacular. This Latin phrase was talcen from one 

 of the older Latin works, and consisted of the first two, three, 

 or more words of the description, and in conjunction was 

 quoted the name of the writer of the book. A brilliant idea 

 came to a Swedish naturalist, thouo:h suggested indirectly in 

 earlier works. This was uniformly to use only two Latin 

 words instead of one, two, three or more. The Swede worked 

 this system out for the whole of the natural history of the 

 world, zoological and botanical. He was primarily a botanist, 

 and he introduced a scheme of nomination very little different 

 from some of his predecessors. In zoology also, in some 

 branches, the same idea had been previously used, but never for 

 the whole scheme of nature. Consequently as a basis, the 

 work of Linnaeus became the standard text-book. It was mani- 

 festly imperfect, and in many details was inferior to mono- 

 graphic works of earlier date. Such a result was as certain 

 then as now. because the specialist must always surpass in his 

 local study the best endeavour of the general student. Never- 

 theless, the general work must appeal to a much larger body of 

 users, and become accessible to more workers. Another inter- 

 position becomes necessary. It was the custom of the 'WTiter, 

 as his book was wholly written in Latin, to use a Latinisation 

 of his name. Thus Linnaeus, although the writer's name was 

 Linne. However, in later years, through the f^me of his work, 

 Linne Avas ennobled, and he then reverted to his original name. 

 Consequently, many workers, like myself, use the Swedish form 

 though others (juote the Latinised form. Tlie method of Linne 

 was to use a generic and a trivial name, the whole to form the 

 binomial name of the species. Thus the genus CoiTUS in- 

 cluded the bird previously designated with the single name, 

 Corriiii. and he introduced as the trivial name the word Corax. 

 the s])ecific name being Corvris Cora.r. Tender the diagnosis 

 he gave references to previous writers, so that identification is 

 possible with those workers, and from them we can trace the 

 bird by means of vernaculai'S. Only Latin was used by Linne, 

 as his work was technically and truly a "Systema Naturae." 

 Of course, jealousv was certain, and contemporary writers, par- 

 ticularly si>ecialisls. openly derided his system and his detail 

 work. This leads us to Brisson, his famous ornithological 

 contemporary, and undoubtedly a far superior bird student. 

 Brisson had been engaged for years in the preparation of an 

 "Ornithology" or a scheme quite novel and most ambitious. 

 When this was nearly complete. Linne's tenth edition of his 



