160 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



Mr. North makes the innuendo that certain species have been 

 omitted from the Hst, while doubtful ones are admitted into it. 

 I believe Mr, North has been politely asked to point out such, 

 but as he cannot find time to do so we may safely infer that the 

 omissions and commissions, if any, are unimportant. 



However, I may be permitted to point out that the list should 

 be criticised as a " List of Vernacular Names " only, and not- 

 withstanding Mr. North states that one of his correspondents 

 " takes exception to many of the proposed vernacular names," 

 he (Mr. North) is evidently in favour of the list generally, 

 because he has already used many of the names, and moreover 

 by a series of coincidences anticipated the list. Mr. North was 

 in possession of the M.S. of the provisional list in December, 

 1894, it having been sent to him in good faith. In the Aus- 

 tralian Museum's " Report of the Trustees" for the years 1896-7, 

 it will be noticed that Mr. North uses the names " Frog- 

 mouth," " Caterpillar-eater," " Plum-head " (ed) Finch, " Black- 

 backed Magpie," " Green Leek," " Spotted (Swamp) Harrier," 

 &c., names that do not appear on any Australian list previous to 

 the MS. list referred to, which was not adopted and printed by 

 the Science Association till 1898. 



Again, in his instructive article " The Birds of the County of 

 Cumberland" (N.S.W.), printed and issued for the very session of 

 the Association that adopted the " Vernacular List," we find 

 Mr. North anticipating such names as " Chough " for Corcorax, 

 " Fig-bird," " Cuckoo-Shrike," " Black-faced" Flycatcher, "Scrub- 

 Wren " for Sericornis ; " Crescent "-marked Honey-eater, White- 

 " browed" Wood-Swallow, Red-" browed " Finch, " White- 

 rumped " Swift, " Stubble " Quail, " Painted Quail," " Purple- 

 crowned " Fruit-Pigeon, &c., &c. 



There are also several similar names, " colourable imitations," 

 as the commercial phrase goes, to those on the " Vernacular List " 

 used by Mr. North, for instance : — 



" Ground-Dove " for Ground-bird (Cinclosoma). 

 "Singing-Lark" for Song-Lark (Cinclorhamphus). 

 " Bark-pecker " for Tree-runner (Sittella). 

 " Silver-eye " for White-eye (Zosterops). 



In conclusion, I desire it to be understood I do not claim that 

 all the names above cited on the " Vernacular List " are original, 

 but what I do claim is that they were in no catalogue or work on 

 Australian birds prior to the MS. list drawn up for the Associa- 

 tion. 



ARCHD. J. CAMPBELL. 



Armadale, March, 1899. 



