VI ] 



Correspondence. 20^ 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



The Spelling of Names. 



Editors of 'The Auk": — 



Dear Sirs : — For some years past I have had official or friendly rela- 

 tions, or both, with three distinguished men who bear the same name. 

 By one — the President of Harvard University — it is written Eliot; by 

 another — a zoologist, explorer and author of world-wide reputation — 

 Elliot; by the third — an eminent authority and writer on North Ameri- 

 can birds and mammals, for whom, by the way, it stands as a given name 

 only — Elliott. In writing to one or another of these gentlemen, as I have 

 sometimes had occasion to do, I have often found it necessary to verify my 

 impression as to the precise number of " 1 "s and " t "s to which he laid 

 claim. This, of course, has given some trouble, but in my simple igno- 

 rance of philology it had not occurred to me that the name in question 

 could be "properly" spelled in only one way, and I had even supposed 

 that some family or historical interest or value might attach to and in a 

 way justify its slightly varying forms. These illusions, however, have 

 been utterly dispelled by Mr. Elliot's recent onslaughts on our unfortunate 

 Canon XL. I have read his argument with a mixture of satisfaction and 

 shame — satisfaction at the beneficent possibilities of correctness and uni- 

 formity of spelling which his article suggests, and shame that I, as a 

 member of the Committee could have been so misguided as to vote for a 

 principle which sanctions writing the name of one bird Anthus pensil- 

 vanicus and of another Dendroica pensylvanica, — and this despite the 

 fact that in my early youth I actually enjoyed the privileges of that pub- 

 lic school education to which Mr. Elliot so feelingly alludes. 



Fortunately it is not too late to retrieve my error, and I gladly take this 

 opportunity to pledge the use of what influence I may possess with the 

 Committee towards the elimination of Canon XL in accordance with 

 Mr. Elliot's views, provided that gentleman will agree to secure and 

 establish a uniform and hence "correct" spelling of the name he bears. 

 That this will be easy enough in the case of our mutual friend Dr. Elliott 

 Coues the latter's outspoken and cordial support of Mr. Elliot in late 

 numbers of 'The Osprey ' leaves no reason to doubt, but with the Presi- 

 dent of Harvard University there may possibly be some difficulty! 

 Very truly yours, 



William Brewster. 

 Cambridge, Mass. 



