A.A. Stejneger, Analecta Or?iithologica. [January 



Professor Newton says that he has not been able to trace the latter 

 further back than to Linnaeus's loth edition (cf. Coues's second 

 Check-list, p. 64, where he enlarges upon the subject). The 

 word Quiscula is, however, to be found as early as the middle of 

 the 1 6th century, for Gesner gives among the names of the Quail 

 (Coturuix coturnix) " S^iialea & £hiiscula Recentioribus" 

 and Pater Rzaczynski in his -Historia Naturalis curiosa Regni 

 Polonias,' etc. (1721, p. 376), names it "Coturnix seu Quiscula, 

 §>uisquila" The word is probably an onomatopoieticon, and 

 the different names Quail, Quatla, Quaglia, Caille, Cuaderviz, 

 Quackel have perhaps a kindred origin. I also find quoted as 

 late Latin "quaquiia, quaquilia, qualia and qtialea" while 

 '■cat/ia' and '•quisquilcC are given as Portugese vernaculars of the 

 Quail; and Ph. Statius Miiller (S. N., II, 1773, p. 196) says: 

 "Dei* Linnasische Name §hiiscula Konnte eine Wachtel be- 

 cleuten." The Mexican origin, as suggested by some (cf. Auk, 

 1SS4, p. 57), seems not probable in view of the above.* 



XVIII. Coiimts, not Ortyx. 



Good taste and common sense should have prevented a not un- 

 frequent usage among older writers of adopting a classic Greek 

 or Latin name of a well-known European species as generic 

 term for an exotic or even Neogaean group of birds. That the 

 early immigrants from 'the old country' transferred the names of 

 familiar birds to the species of similar appearance in their new 

 home, was natural and cannot be blamed ; that they called the 

 'Bob-w T hite' Quail is just as natural as the course of Stephens 

 in imposing upon the exclusively American genus the classic 

 name Ortyx is condemnable ; for op-njl is the ancient Greek name 

 for the common European Quail {Coturnix coturnix). 



Still, this consideration would not affect the availability of 

 the name as a generic appellation, and when we now propose 

 to give it up it is because we are compelled to do so for other 

 reasons. The fact is that Ortyx is preoccupied. 



As I have no means of looking up the reference " Ortyx Oken, 

 Lehrb. Naturg. , VI, 1816, p. 611," which I suppose is used by 



* It should also be mentioned that Quiscalus is used in botany, for which reason 

 Swainson substituted Scaphidurus. 



