Vol. XVI "I Elliot, Truth versus Error. AC 



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serve to distinguish it after it becomes known, and the more non- 

 sensical and outrageous the spelling might be the more it would 

 probably be remembered, and the most bizarre words have been 

 coined to prove that this is a fact. But this method is neither 

 sensible nor scientific, and the evils of such a procedure are fully 

 appreciated even by the Authors of Canon XL, who urgently 

 advise naturalists with the same breath they promise to perpetuate 

 their blunders, to observe when forming words all the philological 

 proprieties. Surely this advice was entirely unnecessary, if names 

 have no importance but are merely handles to swing species on. 

 If that which is the most easy is to be adopted in place of that 

 which is most correct, if knowledge is to be considered of little 

 worth, and blunders, no matter what may have been the cause 

 that produced them, are to be preferred because first born, to that 

 which is well shapen and correct ; if, through mere force of num- 

 bers, erroneous and faulty productions are to be placed on an 

 equality with those words grammatically correct, achieved only 

 through their Author's intimate, possibly profound, knowledge of 

 classical literature, and if there shall be no uniform nomenclature 

 unless it be that one debased by all the errors that ever have 

 been or ever shall be committed, then it is easy to perceive that 

 we shall have no Augustan Age of ornithological literature, but 

 that its swift decadence will surely follow. In this ' Defense ' of 

 a Cult that can have no possible attractions for any educated 

 person and which is a debasement of all literary effort, the Advo- 

 cates of Error have spoken, and with the voice of their strongest 

 man, and when the arguments advanced are subjected to a criti- 

 cal analysis, what do we receive ? Only this — " It is exceedingly 

 difficult to do right, and superlatively easy to do wrong, therefore, 

 my brothers, do wrong." How simple ! And now in conclusion. 

 It is quite evident from Dr. Allen's attitude that if he can prevail 

 upon the majority of the Committee to adopt his views, there can 

 be little hope of improving by that Body the present illiterate con- 

 dition existing in the nomenclature of North American ornithol- 

 ogy ; the remedy must come from without. Therefore, and I do 

 not now address myself to the " authorities," but to those who, if 

 they have not attained that glorious distinction, yet who will be 

 the future leaders in North American ornithology, I would repeat 



