NOTES. Ill 



This window tapping habit is shared by the Gray Wagtail. By 

 the way. I notice the Gray Wagtail is almost invariably solitary in 

 his habits. However many one sees of a morning, they are always 

 alone. So perhaps he is driving away an imaginary rival. 



The Sun bird must be one of our lightest birds, as they may 

 frequently be observed swinging on the stigma of the common Abuiilon 

 (Cliiuese Lantern flower) in search of msects, on which , in spite of 

 their common name (Ne^tarinidos) , they mainly feed. 



It may be wortli noting that the Gra}' Wagtail came in this year 

 to a day with the Autumn Equinox, but I fancy the phase of the 

 moon coinciding bad something to do with this. Most migratory 

 birds prefer a full moon when not hustled by frost and consequent 

 want of food. Then they fly at any time, but mostly by night — m 

 the daytime so high as often to be invisible . except to highly posted 

 observers. 



A criticism has been recently made that 1 have confined my list 

 of birds to those m my own neighbourhood. This is incorrect. Of 

 74 birds identified, 33 may be said to be found everywhere, 16 are 

 only seen in jimgle or on patana, paddy field, and marsh, while the 

 remaining 25 are mainly based on single specimens shot or observed 

 on six other estates covering an area of upwards of two miles square. 



No bird has been put in unless shot or identified by a competent 

 observer. Several specimens reported bj' witnesses of doubtful 

 credibility, or not identifiable from the description given, have been 

 kept out. 



Talawakele. JAMES RYAN. 



.. 4> 



16. Binomial Nomenclature. — This is the method of naming 

 animals and plants by a Latin form of words, one for the genus and 

 one for the species, whicli was introduced by Linnaeus a century and 

 a haK ago. It is not a very good method, but it is the best that is 

 known. In many instances a classical or a personal name is adopted 

 for the genus, e.g.. Nereis, Argonauta, «fec., while the specific term 

 may indicate a character or the distribution, or may again com- 

 memorate the name of a person, as Vesperugo tickelli, commemorating 

 Mr. Tickell. Often, however, the etymology of a name will not bear 

 looking into, franli nonsense being sometimes employed. But it 

 ceases to be nonsense as soon as it is used to designate a particular 

 species of animals or of plants. It is commonly a mistake to read 

 a meaning into an artificial term. 



Very often the same species has been named twice by two different 

 observers, and in such an event the name first given is that wliich 

 stands by rule of priority. Frequently, alas, names which have been 

 sanctioned by long usage of fifty or a hundred years are suddenly 

 discovered by some too diligent inquirer to have no legal title^ and 



