98 CoUES on the Nomenclature of North American Birds. 



nally, and has usually since, been written gramniaca, for which orthography 

 I know of no authority. The Latin grammica is more correct. The gender 

 of Chondestex may be in question. 



193. Goniaphaea ludoviciana (Z,.) Boivd. The genus Hedymeles, 

 Cab., 1851, was based upon this species, but cannot be used for it because 

 of Hedi/mela, Sundev. (Of v. Vet. Akad., 1846, 223) for another genus of 

 birds, the difference being merely dialectic. Cabanis seems to have pro- 

 posed it simply because " Habia Reich. 1850 " was not classically correct. 

 But Habia or Abia is said to be antedated by Habia, Lesson, 1831, and 

 therefore untenable. " Goniaphea Bowdich 1825" is said to be based upon 

 the Rose-breasted Grosbeak; but I suspect that there is some mistake 

 here. I have carefully examined Bowdich's " Excursions in Madeira," 

 which is the reference given for the name, without finding any such genus; 

 and Gray's Hand-list gives a different type for Goniaphea. If the Rose- 

 breasted and Black-headed Grosbeaks are to be generically distinguished 

 from the Blue Grosbeak, a new generic name seems to be required : 

 Zamelodia ludoviciana, Z. melanocephala. 



216. Icterus galbula (Linn., 1758) Coues. Since Baird first adopted 

 some of the 1758 Linntean names, there has been a growing disposition in 

 their favor on the part of American ornithologists, and several have since 

 been selected by Baird and Ridgway, and by myself. European ornithol- 

 ogists steadily refuse to recognize such names, on the ground that they do 

 not take Linnaeus's work until it finally left his hands in 1 766. The argu- 

 ment for the tenth edition is, first, that here the binomial system is thor- 

 oughly established and consistently applied ; and that Linnaeus has no 

 more right to change his own names, once thus fully set forth, than any 

 one else has. It may be said, further, that to take Linnaeus at 1758 would 

 be to bring a reputable author, Briinnich, within the pale, and to lessen 

 the inconvenience of Brisson's exceptional case. At any rate, we have al- 

 ready adopted Elanoides forjicalus instead of E.furcatus, Chcetura pelagica 

 for C. pelasgia, Progne subis for P. purpurea, Icteria inrens for /. viridis, 

 etc. Consistency, which is a jewel, requires us either to abandon these or 

 take the rest. I prefer the latter course ; and the first case of this kind 

 which I beg to submit is the Coracias galbula Linn., 1 758. This is based 

 solely upon Catesby, pi. 48 ; and Catesby's bird is the Baltimore Oriole, 

 whose binomial name was changed by Linnaeus in 1 766 to Oriolus baltimore. 



231. Gymnocitta cyanocephala, Max. Why we have retained the 

 k in this generic name I know not ; we write -citta or -cissa in other cases. 

 The Greek kappa becomes c in Latin (at least in ornithological Latin). 



234. Cyanocitta cristata (L.) Strickl. 



235. Cyanocitta stelleri (Gm.). 



235a. Cyanocitta stelleri macrolopha (Bd.) Coues. 



235b. Cyanocitta stelleri frontalis (Ridgw.) Couea. The type of 

 Cyanurus, Sw., 1831, is not cristatus, but some tropical American Jays for 

 which Boie had proposed Cyanocorax. The error which Gray made and 



