BIRDS OF PREY OF NOVA SCOTIA—GILPIN. 2: 
Ort 
~I 
Surnia, ulula (var. Hudsonia)—Hawk owl. 
Nyctale, tengmalmis (var. Richardsoni)—Tengmalmi's owl. 
Nyctale, acadica—Saw wet owl. 
FAMILY FALCONID. 
Circus, cyaneus (var. Hudsonius)—Marsh hawk. 
Accipter, fuscus—Sharp shin. 
Accipter, cooperii—Cooper’s hawk. 
Astur, atriccapillus—Goshawk, 
Falco, sacer—Jerfalcon. 
Falco, communis—Duck hawk. 
Falco, columbarius—Pigeon hawk. 
Falco, spaverilus—Sparrow hawk. 
Bateo, borealis—Red tail hawk. 
Bateo, lineatus—Red shoulder hawk. 
Archibuteo, lagobus (var. Sancti Johannis)—Rough legged 
buzzard. 
Pandion, halizetus—Fish hawk. 
Aquilla, chrysaevtus—-Golden eagle. 
Haliaetus, leucoccephalus—Bald eagle. 
You will find in this list, taken as regards its nomenclature 
from Coues’ Key, that many generic as well as specific names 
are changed from Wilson, Audubon, Nuttall, Richardson, and, 
even Baird, or other recent writers. The greatest change is with 
the specific. Whilst we accept the changes from the older 
authors as the necessary progress in the science, yet we can see 
in the differences from the modern ones that one principle rules 
them, a nearer return to truth, to the principle of returning to 
the specifie given by the first discoverer of the species, allowing 
him the exclusive right of naming, and finally in birds almost 
identical in both continents the allowance of geographical varia- 
tion from ene common origin. This of course is the most 
philosophical way of settling points beyond our reach. Field 
naturalists can scarcely be allowed the privilege of criticising, 
which must be the result of intimate knowledge of large collec- 
tions and libraries, and, as respects the author of the Key, still 
larger experience of field life. Yet one may be allowed to say 
