45



Knowledge revealing Ignorance.



very rare Black Troupial ( Quiscalus ??iajo?'), and two pairs of the

pretty Chilian Teal ( Net Hum flavirostre).


Mr. Hugo Pam has presented a very choice collection of

birds from Venezuela, consisting of a Violaceous Night Heron

(.Nycticorax violaceus), a White Ibis (. Eudocinius alb us), three

Naked-eyed Pigeons (Cohimba gynmophthalma), a Black-cheeked

Cardinal ( Paroaria jiigtigenis), a Bare-faced Hangnest ( Gymno -

myslax melanicterns'), a Golden-crowned Troupial ( Icterus aurica-

pilla), a Grey-backed Ouzel, four Scaly Doves, and a rare Milvago

Hawk ( Milvago chimachima). The majority of these birds are

extremely rare, and the last-mentioned has not been represented

in the Society’s collection since 18S2.


The Naked-eyed Pigeon is equally rare, and with the

exception of a specimen presented by the same donor two months

ago, has not been represented for about thirty-five years. From

1S58 until 1S75 this species bred in the Gardens and produced

hybrids with the American Spotted Pigeon {C. maculosa).


D. S-S.



KNOWLEDGE REVEALING IGNORANCE.


By Dr. A. G. Butler.


I have been asked to write something for our Magazine,

but my birds are growing old and have done nothing worthy ot

record for the past two years, so that it is difficult for me to

think of a subject worth writing about.


King Solomon, who was the Linnaeus of his day, tells us

that “he that increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow,” and

there is no doubt whatever that this statement is true as regards

Natural History, for the study of that science becomes more

complex and difficult every day.


When I first took up Entomology, and especially the study

of Butterflies, nothing whatever was known about seasonal

phases, so that all forms which exhibited constant differences

were confidently described as distinct species ; when it was

discovered that the summer and winter phases of Butterflies

frequently bore little resemblance to each other, the number of

recognized species had to be considerably reduced.



