390 Letters, Extracts^ and Notes. [Ibis, 



species till driven off by the rightful owners, but such cases 

 are quite exceptional and no field worker is likely to be mis- 

 led by them. The statement that the Bar-tailed Godwit 

 " will brood the eggs of the Whimbrel '' rests on the statement 

 of a dealer-collector, which is in all probability correct ; it is, 

 however, not a well-known habit but a quite exceptional 

 occurrence. 



If Mr. Bunyard's arguments are to be taken seriously we 

 may look forward to statements in ' The Ibis' that the blue 

 type o£ egg of the Spotted Flycatcher is really that of the 

 Pied Flycatcher; or that blue eggs of the Blackbird are 

 really those of the Thrush. Authenticity in future must 

 not depend on the incubating bird, but will be settled by 

 reference to a small series of normal eggs selected by 

 Messrs. Schliiter and Kiirickeldorff, and field work in Oology 

 will become superfluous. 



F. C. R. JOURDAIN. 



Appleton Rectoiy. 

 6 February, "l92i>. 



Illogical Rules of Nomenclature. 



Sir,— The subject of Zoological Nomenclature is world- 

 wide, therefore we should well ventilate world-wide opinions 

 thereon. Nevertheless, the subject is somewhat unimpor- 

 tant. It has, in certain quarters, been boomed into one of 

 great importance. Indeed non-scientific Rules have been 

 boomed so largely as to almost eclipse science itself — the 

 science of Ornithology at all events. 



Consequent upon the Great War the International Com- 

 mission is defunct and may never more be revived, except 

 perhaps as an English-speaking people's Commission. 

 Therefore the Rules of the '' International Commission " so- 

 called are like useless police statutes without magistrates 

 and police officers to administer them. 



The time appears opportune to make changes in the rules, 

 especially those that are mischievous, or do not work 

 smoothly, or are irritating to practical workers. 



