Letters, Extracts, Notices, ^c. 405 



ning of this month (May) in the vicinity of Mogador, and 

 shot an undoubted specimen yesterday. It was hovering 

 and dipping over a marshy pond in company with a number 

 of Whiskered Terns {Hydrochelidon hybrida) and Black 

 Terns {H. nigra), from which latter I distinguished it when 

 on the wing by the conspicuous white on the shoulder, and 

 in the hand by its dark red bill and bright red legs. 



"Whiskered and Black Terns have been very numerous here 

 the last week or so ; 1 have also seen the Sandwich Tern 

 {Sterna cantiaca) , which has been with us on and off since 

 winter_, and a good many Little Terns {Sterna minuta) . 



Most of these birds should,, I imagine^ soon be getting 

 away to their breeding-grounds. 



Large spring ari'ivals of Redshank occurred at the end of 

 April and beginning of May; plenty of Grey Plover {Squa- 

 tarola helvetica) are now here in breeding-plumage, and a 

 good many Whimbrel are paying us their usual May visit. 



Yours &c., 



Chas. a. Payton. 



Basingstoke, May lltli, 3891. 



Sir, — It was only towards the end of April that I had an 

 opportunity of perusing the 'Auk'' for January 1891, and 

 consequently I have been in ignorance of the notice of my 

 ' Catalogue of the Picidse in the British Museum,^ signed 

 J. A. A. (presumably Mr. J. A. Allen). I am taken to task 

 upon several points, and perhaps I may be permitted, through 

 your Journal, to say a few words in reply. 



(1) Upon page 93 Mr. Allen writes :— " In respect to spe- 

 cific names, those not pleasing to the author, through faulty 

 significance or construction, are thrown over regardless of 

 previous currency.'' My adoption of the name of Colaptes 

 mexicanus instead of C. cafer is in accordance with previous 

 currency (though not of priority), and the recently unearthed 

 name of cafer (although Canon xxxi. of the A.O.U. Code 

 would sanction its use) is specially instanced by our Code, 

 law 10, as one to be avoided. 



