142 Letters, Extracts, Notice*, tyc. 



The Generic Term Ixoreus. — Among the "general notes" 

 in the ' Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington ' 

 for April last (vol. xv. p. 85) is one from Mr. Charles W. 

 Richmond, insisting that the generic term Ixoreus, proposed 

 by Bonaparte in 1854 (C. R. xxxviii. p. 3), should be used, 

 on the ground of priority, instead of Hesperocichla of Baird 

 (Rev. Arner. B. i. p. 12, 1864). Now I wish to say that, in 

 my opinion, this change ought not to be made. Bonaparte 

 expressly states that the type of his new genus Ixoreus 

 " n'est pas un Grive ni meme un Chanteur, mats un Volucre 

 Tceniopterien." Bonaparte (whom I knew well and with 

 whom I was frequently in company about the time of the 

 foundation of this generic name) was in the habit of " making 

 his genera" by putting up a small paper label with the 

 generic name in front of the type in the gallery of the 

 Museum in the Jardin des Plantes. By some extraordinary 

 mistake (for Bonaparte had an excellent knowledge of birds) 

 he imagined that a specimen of Myiotheretes rujiventris in 

 the gallery was the bird figured by Audubon as Turdus 

 ncevius. This was the reason why he stated (quite correctly) 

 that the type of his genus Ixoreus was a "Volucre Taenio- 

 pterien." I well recollect, although it is a long time ago, 

 observing this error soon after it was made, whereupon I 

 pointed it out to Bonaparte and to the late Jules Verreaux, 

 who was with me at the time. Our American friends, 

 therefore, may still safely use Hesperocichla for the Varied 

 Thrush, Turdus ncevius, although, in my opinion, it is hardly 

 necessary to separate it from the genus Turdus. 



If Mr. Richmond had taken the trouble to read what was 

 written upon this subject forty-three years ago (see P. Z. S. 

 1859, p. 331), he would have saved himself from committing 

 this (already corrected) blunder. — P. L. S. ^ ***-+- P-1-S 



>**7 , y St ! 



Baron Snouckaert van Schauburg's Collection of Birds. — 

 We learn from ' Science' (n. s. xvi. p. 717) that the collection 

 of the birds of Holland formed bv Baron Snouckaert van 



