1 86 Correspondence. \_k&\ 



Another point is in regard to quoting the authority for species described 

 in the ' Fauna Boreali-Americana.' 



The A. O. U. Committee has evidently decided to quote the author 

 whose initials appear at the head of the description immediately following 

 the scientific name instead of the two authors jointly. Oidemia americana, 

 however, is still credited to " Sw. and Rich.," although it is Swainson's 

 species and no reference to Richardson occurs in connection with it. Two 

 other species, Lag-opus leucurus and Larus franklinii, credited to" Sw. and 

 Rich.," are still regarded as of joint authorship though both could easily 

 be credited to Richardson without stretching rulings applied in other 

 cases. 



The other main point to which I wish to call attention is one of priority. 

 Two names are proposed in the same volume for the same animal, one 

 having priority of nineteen pages. Several specialists claim that in such 

 a case the next writer to revise the group to which the animal belongs has 

 the right to adopt either name he chooses, and subsequent writers should 

 follow him. I should like to know if such a ruling is in accordance with 

 views of the A. O. U. Committee. To me the priority of a few pages 

 seems to warrant the adoption of the first name just as much as priority 

 of a few years, or, as it has been happily put, " in case of twins, primo- 

 geniture rules." 



I was impelled to call especial attention to the main points discussed in 

 this letter by the question of the proper name for the Polar Hare recently 

 agitated by Mr. S. N. Rhoads (see Amer. Nat., 1S96, p. 251), and I am 

 indebted to this gentleman for the use of some letters from specialists 

 bearing upon the matter. 1 



The citation of this case, with the opinions of various specialists, will 

 further illustrate the different views that are held in regard to these ques- 

 tions. Ross published a description of the Polar Hare in his 'Voyage,' 

 Appendix IV, p. 151, giving it the name"if/«.< arcticus Leach," implying 

 that Dr. Leach had recognized the species as new and had proposed this 

 name for it. Farther on in Appendix No. IV is a more minute account by 

 Dr. Leach of the animals collected; here (p. 170) he describes the Polar 

 Hare, giving it the name Lepus glacialis, having apparently changed his 

 mind as to what he would call it since communicating with Ross. 



Sabine, Baird and others chose to adopt Lepus glacialis Leach for the 

 animal, but now Mr. Rhoads advocates Lepus arcticus on account of 

 priority and would quote as authority "Leach " Ross in accordance with 

 the suggestion given above in this letter. 



In answer to inquiries the following gentlemen have given their 

 opinions as below in regard to which name and authority they would 

 quote. 



1 The permission to publish their opinions was courteously granted by the 

 gentlemen mentioned below, to whom I am also indebted. 



