LETTERS 



DUNLIN OR DUNLING ? 

 To the Editors of British Birds. 



Sirs, — The Editorial note appended to my letter in your last issue 

 I am unable to regard either as satisfactory or logical. The very first 

 sentence is open to objection, namely the statement that " the proper 

 scientific names to be used can be decided by following definite rules, 

 the English names cannot." Why not ? We have only to turn to 

 such works as those of Dr. R. G. Latham, the Rev. Isaac Taylor, 

 Professor Skeat and others, to find that there is no lack of rules. Then 

 why not apply them ? 



The Editors remark : ' ' The English name must, we think, be chosen 

 (if there is a choice) on the authority of the majority of scientific 

 writers." The " name " yes, but not necessarily the spelling of it, 

 if it can be shown to be erroneous — which is my point — as in the case 

 of Redpole for Redpoll, Cole-tit for Coal-Tit, Shielddrake for Shelddrake, 

 Shoveller for Shoveler, Widgeon for Wigeon, Buff el-head for Bulfle-head, 

 Pomarine for Pomatorhine and others. In the iise of scientific names 

 such corrections of orthography have been frequently proposed and 

 adopted, as, for example, spipoletta for spinoletta, hiaticola for hiaticula, 

 podicipes for podiceps, and so forth. Other emendations might be made, 

 as for example praticola for pratincola, phalaridopus for phalaropus. 

 And I see no reason why these emendations should not be made. The 

 fact that some of our predecessors could not spell properly does not 

 necessitate our adoption of their mistakes ; and the proper spelling 

 of a word, as Professor Skeat and other philologists have shown, 

 depends upon its derivation. 



In regard to the name now in dispute, the only argument adduced 

 by the Editors for retaining the form " Dmilin " is that it is used (as 

 I had already admitted) in the majority of standard works ; though 

 this would apply equally to " cole-tit;" " redpole " and others, which 

 have been changed with the approval of all educated naturalists. 



The Editors ignore my reminder that " Dunling " is sanctioned by 

 Professor Newton {Ootheca III., 225-26) with the concurrence of 

 Professor Skeat, and are apparently unaware that it was adopted in 

 print by the poet Gray, no mean authority, whose attainments as a 

 naturalist were much greater than many people suppose. 



But the argument is fallacious, for the Editors would apply the 

 principle of " nomina auctoriim phtrimoriini " in the case of English 



