184 Observations on the 



all such points is not whether the means by which we arrive at 

 knowledge present, at first sight, a formidable appearance that 

 may affright the indolent and unenterprising; but whether it 

 affords the easiest progress to the object in view. That which 

 appears an obstacle is often a stepping-stone to our advancement : 

 and the height which to one man seems insurmountable, is, to 

 the man of enthusiasm, who masters the ascent, the means of 

 extending his views, and giving him a commanding prospect over 

 the field of inquiry. But this is not the point at present under 

 consideration. Nomenclature, as an instrument to facilitate our 

 knowledge, should certainly be as simple as is consistent with its 

 powers and efficiency. And how far the nomenclature of the 

 present more advanced state of Ornithology errs in this respect, 

 how far it has become too complicated, and the introduction of 

 new terms has introduced confusion into the science ; how far, in 

 short, every species, as is alleged, has become, or is likely to 

 become, a genus, may be determined from the following brief 

 statement of the fact. 



At the period when Linnaeus published the last edition of his 

 " Systema Naturae," the number of species described in the de- 

 partment of Ornithology amounted to nine hundred and twenty- 

 seven. These he thought it necessary to divide into seventy-eight 

 genera, thus leaving less than twelve species on an average to each 

 genus. The number of species which have come under the 

 observation of the naturalists of the present day exceed five thou- 

 sand ; having increased beyond the number of those known to 

 Linnaeus in a greater proportion than that of five to one. We 

 might reasonably have inferred that the number of generick names 

 would have increased in at least an equal ratio. And yet what is 

 the fact? In the System of Ornithology published by M. Vieillot, 

 who has been considered the greatest innovator in this respect, 

 the number of his admitted genera is no more than two hundred 

 and seventy-three. These we may increase to three hundred, for 

 the sake of using round numbers, and in order to embrace some 

 genera established by M. Temminck, and other later ornitholo- 

 gists. Taking then the same estimate as before, we have some- 

 what less than seventeen species at present to a genus. The 



