634 Correspondence \£.^ 



LOct. 



CORRESPONDENCE 



Popular Bird Names. 



Editor of 'The Auk': 



The central idea of such of your remarks on pages 503-505 of the cur- 

 rent volume of your journal as are in opposition to the propositions sub- 

 mitted in my letter of May 21 appears to be contained in your statement 

 that "We cannot enforce upon the public what the public will not have," 

 for you admit that the said propositions are "all very well in theory." 

 May I say that in your very opposition you are in agreement with me, 

 for the intent of my letter, as carefully explained in the third and the last 

 paragraphs thereof, was to suggest a way of finding out definitely what, 

 in matters of popular bird nomenclature, the public will have, so that it 

 might be given them in the next edition of the A. O. U. 'Check-List.' 

 I did not propose that the A. O. U. Committee on Nomenclature adopt 

 forthwith the propositions presented, but merely that they submit them 

 to the bird-studying, bird-loving public for their verdict. Have you not, 

 in your remarks, given the reasons why you personally would express 

 approval or disapproval of the various propositions in such a referendum, 

 instead of speaking of the question of the referendum itself? 



Again I respectfully suggest that the A. O. U. Committee on Nomen- 

 clature obtain an expression of popular will concerning the points embod- 

 ied in the propositions in my former letter, rather than proceed to arrange 

 the popular nomenclature of the 'Check-List' in accordance with any 

 assumption, no matter how well-founded they may consider it. 



Harrison F. Lewis. 



P. O. Box No. 6, Quebec, P. Q., 

 August 6, 1920. 



[We regret if we misunderstood or misrepresented Mr. Lewis's sugges- 

 tion. It is quite in order and proper that any suggestions should be made 

 to the Committee and they will, we are sure, receive careful consideration. 

 It would seem more desirable, however, that they be sent direct to the 

 Committee rather than be published in 'The Auk,' as the journal is al- 

 ready overcrowded. — Editor.] 



Baker on the Birds of the Pleistocene. 



Editor of 'The Auk': 



The University of Illinois has very recently published a sumptous 

 monograph entitled 'The Life of the Pleistocene or Glacial Period' by 

 Mr. Frank Collins Baker, Curator of the Museum of Natural History of 

 the University of Illinois. It is a beautifully gotten-up volume of nearly 

 500 pages, and illustrated by no fewer than 57 plates. 



