18 SCIENTIFIC NOMENCLATURE 



SCIENTIFIC NOMENCLATURE 



It is very simple and extremely important. 



The reader's enjoyment, and the knowledge he will derive from this 

 book, will be tremendously increased if he will devote a few minutes of 

 his time to an understanding of the "whys" and "wherefores" of the 

 nomenclature used in ornithology. Half of the pleasure which he might 

 derive from the study of our Ducks, Geese and Swans, will be lost to him, 

 should he fail to do so. And it is very simple. 



Fear of the long and apparently unpronounceable names is apt to 

 frighten the beginner, and may discourage him before he starts; but that 

 is simply because the names are new to him. Such words as hippo- 

 potamus, rhinoceros, and eucalyptus, are not frightening because of their 

 familiarity but they are, strictly, scientific names in Latin. The scientific 

 names of very few of our Ducks are as difficult as these. 



It is not, however, an ability to pronounce the names that matters. 

 That is of minor consequence. It is not even necessary to try to pro- 

 nounce them, though it is easier to do so than appears at first glance, and 

 a simplified pronunciation is given in this work in conjunction with the 

 description of each bird. The prime importance of the study of scientific 

 names is to obtain an understanding of the relationships recognized be- 

 tween the species. And that is important, vitally so; and adds greatly 

 to the interest of the subject. 



Reference will now be made to the "Family Tree" of the Ducks, 

 Geese, and Swans. The manner in which the "Family" is divided into 

 seven "Subfamilies" is clearly set out on this chart. The Subfamily is, 

 in turn, further divided, as will now be explained, by the scientific 

 names, and that is why an understanding of the scientific nomenclature 

 is essential. 



The scientific names of birds, it will be observed, consists of either 

 two or three terms, and these indicate the relationships which exist be- 

 tween (a) the Genus (plural Genera), (b) the Species, and (c) the Sub- 

 species. The first term in the scientific name denotes the GENUS; the 

 second term denotes the SPECIES; the third term denotes the SUB- 

 SPECIES. The reason why it is necessary to have sometimes two or 

 sometimes three terms to each scientific name will be made clear by the 

 following simple, homely example. Let us think of dogs. 



If you tell your friend that you have a dog, you tell him the GENUS 

 (let us say) of your pet, but that is all. He will immediately ask what 

 kind of a dog it is, because he wants to know the SPECIES. If you say 

 that it is a Pekinese, he then knows exactly, because there is only one 

 kind of Pekinese with which he is familiar. You have now told him the 

 genus and the species of your pet. (If your Pekinese were a duck, its 

 scientific name would consist of two terms, and might possibly be Dogus 

 Pekinesi, meaning genus-dog, species-Pekinese.) This is an example of a 

 scientific name of two terms. 



