Vol 'i9il XV ] Notes, and News. 509 



been as careful as it should have been in this matter but in the future all 

 contributors will be requested to conform strictly with the 'Check-List' 

 in all local lists unless footnote equivalents are given. 



This whole matter takes on a very much more serious aspect just at 

 present, for, as will be seen below, the time is ripe for a very much wider 

 uniformity in nomenclature, through the co-operation of all English speak- 

 ing ornithologists, and unless we agree to sink our personal preferences so 

 far as ordinary publications go and use the nomenclature endorsed by our 

 national organization, what hope can there be for international agreement? 



We do not in any way wish to criticise the excellent papers which we have 

 used as examples. They simply happened to be among the publications 

 reviewed in this issue. It is the principle that we are considering and we 

 feel sure that most or all of those who have employed "advanced nomen- 

 clature" for "every day use" did so thoughtlessly or were mislead as to 

 the character of the 'Lists of Proposed Changes' published in 'The Auk.' — 

 Witmer Stone. 



In reviewing the recent 'Hand-List of British Birds' by Dr. Hartert 

 and his associates the Editor of 'The Auk' had occasion to comment upon 

 the remarkable correspondence between the nomenclature there adopted 

 and that of the A. O. U. Check-List in cases where the same genera or 

 species were considered and concluded with the following: "This com- 

 parison shows that it will now be very easy for American and British 

 ornithologists to come together on matters of nomenclature." 



The time for bringing about this result seems to have arrived, thanks 

 to the initiative taken by the Committee of the British Ornithologists' 

 Union. Some months ago they appointed a committee on a 'Systema 

 Avium' consisting of Lord Rothschild, Drs. Eagle Clark and Hartert, 

 Messrs. G. M. Mathews, T. Iredale, W. L. Sclater, E. C. Stuart Baker and 

 C. Chubb. It was proposed that this committee enter into correspondence 

 with the A. O. U. to propose a joint list of bird names of the world to be 

 known as the 'Systema Avium.' The suggestion is that the work consist 

 of six volumes covering the six great zoological regions, the A. O. U. being 

 responsible for North and South America and the B. O. U. for the Old 

 World volumes, and that a joint committee settle all questions of nomen- 

 clature of genera and species where they are not already in accord. 



The matter will come before the A. O. U. at its next meeting and it is to 

 be hoped that in the near future the actual work may be under way al- 

 though publication will of course be out of the question until after the war. 

 Such a work endorsed by all the English speaking people of the world 

 would go a long way toward establishing a universal nomenclature for birds. 



As is generally known legislation for the protection of migratory birds 

 in North America has taken the form of a treaty between the United States 

 and Great Britain, putting the matter on a more stable and permanent 

 basis than could be done in any other way. After being ratified by both 



