Vol.XXVIII 

 1911 



J Recent Literature. 497 



Colymbus (Brisson ex Linne), and Catarractes, Glareola, Phalacrocorax, 

 Accipiter, Strix, and Loxia will continue in use as at present, with the type 

 of Loxia as Loxia curvirostra Linn., both by restriction (by Brisson) and 

 by tautonymy (through Brisson), under Opinion 16 of the International 

 Zoological Commission. 



Among other generic names discussed attention may be called to the 

 Linnean names Charadrius and Tringa. On the basis of tautonymy Mr. 

 Mathews rules that the type of the former is C. hiaticula Linn., and of the 

 latter Tringa ocrophus Linn. If these premises be granted Charadrius 

 will replace JZgialitis Boie, and Pluvialis (authority Brisson, not Schceffer) 

 will replace Charadrius of authors; Tringa will replace Helodromas Kaup, 

 and Canutus Brehm will replace Tringa of authors. The types of both 

 Charadrius and Tringa were left in abeyance in Opinion 16 of the Inter- 

 national Zoological Commission. 



Mr. Mathews considers that differences in the gender endings in generic 

 names, as -a and -us, -us and -urn, etc., do not require the rejection of 

 names otherwise identical, and he would thus employ Heteroscelus Baird in 

 place of Heteractitis Stejneger, and Oxyura in place of Erismatura, but in 

 this latter case he states further that Cerconectes Wagler "appears to have 

 [slight] priority" over Erismatura. Marila Oken is rejected in favor of 

 Nyroca Fleming, on the assumption that Oken's bird genera of 1817 

 are untenable. 



(Enanthe Vieillot is accepted for the Wheatears in place of Saxicola on 

 the ground that the type of (Enanthe rested on tautonymy (Motacilla 

 oznanthe Linn.) before a type was fixed for Motacilla. Conurus Kuhl is 

 rejected because " not proposed generically," but merely as the name of a 

 section, Mr. Mathew stating that he refuses " to accept names simply 

 proposed sectionally as of their sectional date " — implying a distinction 

 between section and subgenus, or other subgeneric divisions not definitely 

 indicated as to grade. Macrorhamphus Forster is stated to be antedated 

 by Macrorhamphus Fisher, which unfortunately is the case. 



Chelidon Forster replaces (we believe properly) Hirundo auct. nee 

 Linne; Aluco Fleming is said to be preoccupied by Aluco Link, and that 

 Tyto Billberg (not Tyta Billberg of earlier date) or Hybris Nitzsch is 

 available in its place. 



Lack of space forbids mention of many other interesting rulings, some 

 of which appear well-founded while others seems to invite further research. 



Various new names, both generic and specific, are given to replace names 

 considered untenable. 



As is evident from the foregoing, Mr. Mathews's paper ' On some 

 necessary Alterations in the Nomenclature of Birds,' demands serious 

 consideration, containing, as it does, the results of much research, among 

 its important features (in Part II) being the record from authentic sources 

 of the dates of publication of various works issued in parts or in a series of 

 volumes, as Lesson's ' Illustrations Zoologiques,' his ' Traite d'Orni- 

 thologique,' and ' Centurie de Zoologie '; of ' Cuvier's Le Regne Animal,' 



