i88s.] Stejneger, Analecta Omitkologica. AQ 



It will be seen that the name applied by Townsend to the 

 Lark Bunting, viz., Fringilla bicolor, was already disposed of 

 by Linnaeus, and is thus unavailable for any other bird. As there 

 seems to be no synonyms, a new name will be required, for 

 which I propose 



R. 256. Calamospiza melanocorys.* Lark Bunting. 



XXII. The Correct Name of the American Cowbird. 



In 'The Ibis' for 1SS3, p. 5S3, Dr. Sclater has a note headed as 

 above, in which he concludes that it should remain -pecoris and 

 not be changed to ater as proposed originally by Gray and, 

 later on, by Cones, and adopted by Ridgway. The following 

 are my reasons for not agreeing with him. 



PI. Enlum. 534 is identified and named by Boddaert (Tabl. 

 PI. Eid. p. 31) thus: 



"534. Trupiale noir Buff. V. p. 301. Briss. II. p. 103. Oriolus niger 

 mihi Linn. Gen. 52.0." 



On p. 37 he identifies PI. 606, fig. 1 (which represents the 

 bird in question) thus : 



"606. 1. Petit Troupiale noir, Buff. V. p. 303. Briss. Ornith. II. p. 

 103. pi. XI. Linn. Gen. 52.0. Oriolus ater, black oriole Lath. 

 birds I. p. 445. n. 37." 



Now, Dr. Sclater reasons thus (/. r.) : "On reference to Bod- 

 daert's Table, p. 37, it will be observed that he does not propose 

 to give a uezc name, ' Oriolus ater,' to Daubenton's ' Troiipiale 

 de la Caroline" (PI. Enl. 606. fig. 1), but merely quotes (as a 

 synonym of Daubenton's figure) ' Oriolus ater. Black Oriole, 

 Lath. Birds, i. p. 445. n. 337.' But the synonym is incorrect, 

 for Latham's 'Black Oriole' is quite another bird. Moreover, 

 when Boddaert intends to make an original name he usually adds 

 after it the word 'mihi.' " 



We now turn to Latham, and find nowhere the name ''Oriolus 

 ater.'' It is therefore clear that Boddaert does not quote " Oriolus 

 ater. Black Oriole, Lath.," etc., as a synonym, but simply the 

 latter part of it, imposing the name Oriolus ater upon the bird 

 represented on the plate, and not named systematically either by 

 BufFon, Brisson, or Linnaeus. That he adduces Latham's 'Black 

 Oriole' wrongly as a synomyn does not invalidate the name which 



* Deriv. («'\as genit. p.t\avos, black, and Kopv8os, contr. Kopu?, a Lark. 



