APPENDIX. 399 



discrepancy between the British and the American 

 current nomenclature. In this country Colymbus is 

 almost universally used for the Loons or Divers, in 

 America for the Grebes. 



Linnaeus' original genus contains four species 

 arctlcus (Black-throated Diver), cristatus (Great Crested 

 Grebe), auritus (Slavonian Grebe), and podiceps (Ameri- 

 can Pied-billed Grebe). Linnaeus does not designate 

 any type, nor does an examination of his desci'iptions 

 and synonymy throw any light on his intentions. 

 The American argument is that Brisson in 1760 used 

 Colymbus for the Grebes and Mergus for the Loons, 

 and is thus the first reviser of the genus ; but, in the 

 first place, Brisson was not a binomialist, nor did he 

 recognise or quote from Linnaeus' work. He adopted 

 the genus Colymbus from Moehring, not from Linnaeus, 

 and in no sense can he be called a reviser of Linnaeus. 



On the other hand, Latham (Gen. Synopsis, Suppl. 

 i. 1787, pp. 294, 295) very definitely adopted Linnaeus' 

 -genus Colymtms for the Divers, and proposed Podiceps 

 for the Grebes. 



A reference to the British Museum Catalogue will 

 show that up to 1882, when Stejneger (Proc. U.S. Nat. 

 Mus. v. 1882, p. 42) proposed to use Urinator for the 

 Divers, the genus Colymbus had been almost universally 

 applied to these birds. 



The Committee hope that the Check-List Committee 

 of the A. 0. U. will see their way to return to the older 

 and, as they believe, to the correct usage of the genus 

 Colymbus in the near future. 



Colymbus immer. Briinnich's name, dating from 1764, has 

 priority over Linnaeus' C. glacialis, first published in 

 the 12th edition of the Syst. Nat. 1756. 



Colymbus stellatns. Pontoppidan's name for the Red-throated 

 Diver, dating from 1763, has five years' priority over 

 Linnaeus' C. septentrionalis , published in 1768. 



