Letters, Extracts, Notices, ^c. 467 



slightly antedated by Dendrocopus, Vieill., though both names 

 were published in the same year. In any case Dry abates 

 has a clear title, while Dendrocopus has not/' Although 

 Dendrocopus of Vieillot appeared in the same year as Den- 

 drocopos of Koch, the former is a pure synonym of Dendro- 

 colaptes, having the same type {certhia, Bodd.), and has no 

 status whatever. Koch's title has, on the contrary, been 

 almost constantly used, and its general acceptation is strong 

 evidence of its priority. It has yet to be proved that Den- 

 drocopus of Vieillot antedates that of Koch, and it is to be 

 regretted that Mr. Allen did not favour us with exact infor- 

 mation on this point. Mr. Allen's statement, which is so 

 much opposed to the generally accepted views on this subject, 

 would have carried much greater weight had he given us 

 his authorities. 



(5) The two specimens from Tarpon Springs, Florida [W. 

 E. D. Scott), placed under Dendrocopus maynardi in the 

 Addenda to the Catalogue, were so placed by mistake, and 

 should come under D. villosus. 



(6) In my footnote to Dendrocopus gairdneri {op. cit. p. 243) 

 I have certainly said that D. pubescens oroecus, Batchelder, 

 is, " in my opinion, barely worthy of subspecific rank," and 

 Mr. Allen observes that "it is not so treated." I could not treat 

 it as a subspecies if I did not think it worthy to rank as such. 



(7) The fact of Picoides dorsalis being accorded full specific 

 rank is, writes Mr. Allen, " explainable probably on the 

 ground of the smallness of Mr. Hargitt's series, the evidence 

 of which is preferred to the consensus of American opinion, 

 based on adequate material." The series examined by me 

 may be small compared with the number of specimens con- 

 tained in the American Museums, nevertheless I gave the 

 bird the rank I thought it merited ; and, while I entertain 

 the highest respect for the opinions of American ornitho- 

 logists, I think it scarcely dignified in Mr. Allen to '' hold 

 the stick over the naughty boy." If ornithologists of other 

 nationalities are to be " called over the coals " for daring to 

 differ in questions concerning American birds, I presume Mr. 

 Allen will consider my having described Dendrocopus arizotice 



