PRINCIPLES, CANONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS. 69 



ject to the law of priority, have still an importance that demands 

 the due exercise of care in their selection, especially with refer- 

 ence to their fitness and desirability. 



REMARKS- It not infrequently happens that well-known, abundant, and 

 familiar species have several nearly equally familiar vernacular designations, 

 in which case the most euphonious and otherwise most fitting should be 

 selected and given prominence. In the case of two equally unobjectionable 

 names, the earliest should be given preference. In general, vernacular names 

 may well be selected on the auctorum plurimorutn principle. 



Since many species known to science are without vernacular names, oth- 

 erwise than unknown barbarous ones, and since it is necessary, or at least 

 desirable, sooner or later to supply them with vernacular designations, these 

 should be as far as possible formed by translating, or in part adopting, the 

 technical names of science ; and authors of monographic works, like, for 

 example, the British Museum * Catalogue of Birds,' or faunal works, like 

 many which might be named, (but which unfortunately in too many cases 

 ignore vernacular names,) would do their fellow naturalists, and through 

 them the public, a favor by considerately supplying vernacular designations 

 to species, particularly in such departments of Zoology as Mammalogy and 

 Ornithology, and indeed Vertebrates generally, together with the better known 

 or more exemplary forms among Invertebrates. 



