^I's^' 11 ] Correspondence. ■ 1 89 



about April 1, 1S90, and Mr. Townsend's, as shown by the official list of 

 dates of publication of the articles in Vol. XIII of the Proceedings of the 

 U. S. National Museum (see p. viii of this volume), not until Sept. 9, 

 1890. Yet Dr. Dwight says Mr. Townsend "'has recently described a race 

 from Lower California and kindly permitted me to examine his tvpe," 

 being under the impression, doubtless, that Mr. Townsend's paper was 

 already in press. The facts in the case as now developed render it evi- 

 dent that the correct citation is: Otocoris alpestr is pallida Dwight (ex 

 Townsend MS.). Auk, VII, April, 1S90, p. 154. 



In the first edition of the A. O. I*. Check-List, as Mr. Stone has pointed 

 out, there was lack of uniformity in the treatment of MS. names, as also 

 in a few other nomenclatural matters, defects it was sought to remedy in 

 the second edition; but, as in all tilings of human origin, there is lack of 

 perfection even in the revised edition, hut the inconsistencies are few 

 and wholly accidental. 



The case of '' Fratercula arctica glacialis (Temm.)," as it appears in 

 the revised edition, is a puzzle. Obviously if the amended reference is 

 correct. ••Stephens'" should replace "Temm.," as 1 lie authority for the 

 name glacialis. On reinvestigation, however, it turns out that the change 

 introduced in the revised edition was uncalled for and erroneous, the 

 original edition being correct.' 



As regards " Sialia azurea Swain.." the name as used by Swainson " is 

 a complete nomen nudum" (cf. Ridgw., Man N. Am. Birds, p. 581, first 

 footnote), and was first coupled with a description bv Baird in 18(14. 

 Therefore the authority is Baird and not Swainson. 



In regard to the ' Fauna BorealivVmericana." it was the ruling of the 

 Committee that the author of the species, whether Swainson or Richard- 

 son, or the two authors jointly, should be cited as the authority for the 

 name, each case to be determined on its merits bv the evidence afforded 

 by the text. But the evidence is not always clear, so that different 

 authorities might decide the same case differently. In the case of new- 

 species either Richardson's or Swainson's name is usually given as the 

 authority. In the case of Lagopus leucurus, " Swains." is given as the 

 authority for the name, but the description is signed " R." So it was 

 deemed proper to cite both Swainson and Richardson as the authority. 



The authority for Larus franhlinii is " nobis "; the text is signed "R," 



1 Temminck says : " On doit observer de ne pas confondre notre Marmon 

 fratercula [= Fratercula arctica (Linn.)] avec une espece propre aux c6tes 

 septentrionales d'Amerique, dont le plumage est absolument semblable, mais 

 qui a la bee beaucoup plus haut, elle a surtout la mandibule infe.ri.eure tr6s- 

 arqu&e; cette espece nouvelle est indiquGe par le docteur Leach, sous le nom 

 de Mormon glacialis" (Man. d'Orn. sec. Gd.,II, 1820, p. 933). On reference 

 to Stephens it becomes evident that Dr. Leach's name was merely a museum 

 manuscript name, whence both Temminck and Stephens obtained it. 



