" 2. The binomial nomenclature having originated with Linnaeus, 

 the law of .priority, in respect of that nomenclature, is not to extend 

 to the writings of antecedent, au-thbrs. 



" 3. A generic name wlieii e ' once established should never be 

 cancelled i^ajiyi subsequent subdivision of the group, but retained in 

 a restricted s*oi;isb - for oric of the* constituent portions. 



" 4. The generic name should always be retained for that portion 

 of the original genus which was considered typical by the author. 



" 6. When two authors define and name the same genus, both 

 making it exactly of the same extent, the later name should be 

 cancelled in toto, and not retained in a modified sense. 



" 9. In compounding a genus out of several smaller ones, the 

 earliest of them, if otherwise unobjectionable, should be selected, and 

 its former generic name be extended over the new genus so com- 

 pounded. 



" 10. A name should be changed which has before been proposed 

 for some other genus in zoology or botany, or for some other species 

 in the same genus, when still retained for such genus or species. 



" 12. A name which has never been clearly defined in some 

 published work should be changed for the earliest name by which the 

 object shall have been so defined. 



" 13. A .new specific name must be given to a species when its 

 old name has been adopted for a genus which includes that species. 



" 14. In writing zoological names the rules of Latin orthography 

 must be adhered to." 



These rules are almost universally accepted by modern zoologists, 

 and in the present list their principles are violated only where 

 biographical information has been incomplete. But it must be 

 remarked that, while no private judgment ought to be exercised in the 

 case of specific names, the grouping of species into genera must 

 always be more or less arbitrary; for such groups can never be of 

 co-equal value, and their existence and comprehensiveness must 

 mainly depend upon convenience. 



The authority for every specific name is given ; it is included in 

 parentheses when it does not apply to the generic name also. The 

 names of authors of frequent occurrence are abbreviated: thus 

 L. = Linnaeus, Gm. = Gmelin, Temm. = Temminck, &c. 



IV. OF CLASSIFICATION. 



The difficulty of satisfactorily classifying birds is apparent from the 

 variety of " systems" that have been proposed. Few have been more 

 artificial than that of the illustrious Cuvier, but, through its modified 

 adoption in the successive editions of Yarrell's well-known work, none 

 is unfortunately more familiar. The one perhaps most in accordance 

 with modern scientific methods was proposed by Professor Huxley in 

 1866. He groups all birds mainly on the basis of their osseous structure, 

 more particularly regarding that of the palate, since it is perhaps 

 these parts which are the least modified by diverse conditions of life ; 

 but until his views have been more matured and popularised, it is 

 unlikely that ornithologists will adopt them. 



