Vol. xxxvm 



1920 



Correspondence. 501 



If the scheme were generally adopted, the list being restricted to names 

 that are really and truly well known, the genius of language should be 

 taught to take his choice rather than to be encouraged to increase con- 

 fusion by the invention of more names. The plan has been widely and 

 successfully used in other countries. It should succeed equally well here. 



I fear this letter sounds as if I had a quarrel with Mr. Seton. Far from 

 it. He has, however, put his views strongly. I have followed suit. 



Wm. Rowan (M. Sc, M. B. O. U.) 



University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, April 4, 1920. 



Editor of 'The Auk': 



Various aspects of the English language nomenclature of the A. O. U" 

 'Check-List' have recently been given publicity by prominent ornitholo- 

 gists, and the desirability of some changes has been made apparent. 



When the first edition of the 'Check-List' was being prepared, the terms 

 "Junco" and "Vireo" were adopted, in preference respectively to the 

 terms "Snowbird" and "Greenlet," as the result of an appeal to the 

 readers of 'The Auk', made through its pages. The wisdom of the choice 

 made at that time in accordance with the majority of the preferences 

 expressed in answer to the appeal has been well proven in the succeeding 

 years. Could not a similar appeal now be made in the expectation of 

 equally happy results? 



It is suggested that the five propositions stated hereunder, intended to 

 apply only to the standard "common" names of the birds included in 

 the 'Check-List,' be submitted to the readers of 'The Auk' for expressions 

 of opinion, each proposition to be considered separately, and that any 

 of them which may be favored by a majority of the replies received be 

 applied in the revision of the "common" nomenclature of the 'Check-List.' 

 While the writer personally favors the application of each and all of these 

 propositions, he would make clear that he is not here directly urging their 

 adoption, but merely their submission to the judgment of the entire per- 

 sonnel of the A. O. U. 



Proposition 1. Each species shall be given a name which shall be distinct 

 and applicable to the species as a whole, and the names of the subspecies, if 

 any, into which the species may be divided shall each consist of the name of 

 the species with an appropriate modifying term prefixed. 



This is merely the logical application of trinomial nomenclature to 

 "common" names. At present the English-language names of the 'Check- 

 List' do not properly indicate the difference between species and subspecies 

 and in this respect they are neither scientifically accurate nor practically 

 convenient. We have "Yellow Palm Warbler" as an equivalent of Den- 

 droica palmarum hypochrysea and "Palm Warbler" as an equivalent of 

 D. p. palmarum, but we have no English-language equivalent of the 

 species name, D. palmarum. The result is to contribute to what Dr. 



