1874.] DE. FINSCH'S 'DIE PAPAGEIEN.' 271 



In his concluding piige {t. c. 28) Mr. Hume asks, "Pray Dr. Finsch how can it advance our 

 real objects one atom, to call a bird that every one recognizes as ' columboides ' by your truly 

 classical name ' peristerodes ' ] " Without presuming to divine what Mr. Hume's "real objects" 

 niay be, the simple answer is that peristerodes is right and coJumhokles is wrong. Let the literal 

 meaning of tlie word eohimhoides be expressed by a combination of English and French, or of 

 English and German words, instead of Latin and Greek, and the grotesque incongruity will 

 become apparent. Thus, Pigeonsemblable, or Pigeonahnlich, parrakeet. But from a writer 

 who, when reviewing the masterly scientific work of a highly educated gentleman, ' descends to 

 the use of slang terms and repellent vulgarisms, it may be too much to expect any appreciative 

 sympathy with the modes of expression of a refined and cultured intellect. 



This assumption is not weakened by the passage now to be quoted, containing the reply of 

 " an unsophisticated field-naturalist here " to the question put by Mr. Hume of " what he 

 thought of these Continental naturalists, with theii- eternal new names, and the everlasting '■•mihi' 

 tagged on after them." " ' Well ' he said ' I guess the beggars can't discover any new species of 

 their own, so they have dodged up this classical jim, to legalize their stealing other people's ' " 

 {t. c. p. 2). May it be asked, not from motives of mere curiosity, but for the information of Ibis, 1874, 

 ("the beggars"), the benighted naturalists of Europe, whether this is the style in which Indian P--''^- 

 field naturalists converse, or, at the least, those with whom Mr. Hume associates 1 or are we to 

 take it as being only a sample of that language of the future " 100 years hence, when English 

 is spoken, as it then will be, by 500 millions of people " \ (t. c. p. 4). 



Not content with next gracefully indicating in these choice lines, 



" ' Him as prigs vot isn't his'n, 



Ven he's cotohed 'ill go to pris'n,' " 



the proper abode of Dr. Finsch, Mr. Hume further threatens him, and authors like him, with the 

 pillory — " and if the learned authors escape the pillory they so richly deserve (and it shall be no 

 fault of mine if they do), at any rate we have the consolation of knowing, that posterity if it 

 cannot ' quod ' them ' will quod,' " etc. (t. c. p. 3). There is something sublimely comical in this 

 gentleman's threat to " pillory " those authors whose principles of nomenclature differ from his 

 own. That Mr. Hume, single handed, is fully capable of providing an abundant supply of the 

 appropriate missiles is not impossible. But who will assist in erecting the pillory'? 



There is also another form of pedantry which greatly exercises Mr. Hume ; that " curious 

 custom of parading brief descriptions in what is supposed to be Latin ; as prefixes or tags to full, 

 sound, sufficient English or German ones " [t. c. p. 3). " The motives that lead authors into this 

 somewhat meaningless practice " (/. c.) are then analyzed, all that is ungenerous being attributed 

 to them, while the self-evident reason escapes Mr. Hume's powers of conception. We are then 

 assured, in solemn, prophetic tones and with a startling confidence, untempered by even a single, 

 favourite, unctuous, saving adjuration of " D. V.," " that 100 years hence, when English is spoken, 

 as it then will be, by 500 millions of people, any of their writings that survive, will do so only 

 in expurgated editions from which all the ' Latin ' has been carefully expunged " {t. c. p. 4). 

 Then it is seriously suggested that Latin should be discarded and that all descriptions should be 

 written either in English, German, or French — it being overlooked that while naturalists of all '''.,i^ ' 



2n2 ^■■' ■ 



