on Mr. G. R. Gray’s ‘ Genera of Birds.’ 415 
< Sittace, Wagl. In these cases all the equal or coextensive 
synonyms should be cited first, the less extensive ones (if any) 
second, and the more extensive ones last. 
5. In some cases Mr. Gray attaches the date of publication 
to each genus, but it would be an improvement if it were always 
attached both to the adopted name and to its coextensive syn- 
onyms, as is done in the above examples. In a work based 
on the law of priority, it is important that the date of every 
generic name should be recorded, as furnishing the reason for 
its adoption. 
6. It must be acknowledged that, in following out the law 
of priority, we are often driven to adopt names which are very 
barbarous in their sound and ungrammatical in their con- 
struction. Many of our modern naturalists have been sadly 
negligent of their lexicons and grammars, and it is extraordi- 
nary how often we see men of no mean attainments in science 
commit errors in language which would subject a school-boy 
to an imposition, if to nothing worse. I do not, however, 
think that we are justified in materially altering, much less in 
‘cancelling, such names, when they have priority in their fa- 
vour; but we may, at least, be allowed to make such slight 
corrections in the orthography of these words as will render 
them rather more conformable to the rules of language with- 
out materially changing their syllabic structure. I shall take 
occasion hereafter to point out numerous cases in which the 
orthography of the adopted generic names appears capable of 
improvement. I have not attempted to apply these correc- 
tions to the synonyms, which had far better remain “ with all 
their imperfections on their head.” 
COMMENTARY. 
Page 1. Gypaetos, “‘ Ray,” was first defined as a genus by Storr, 
and should therefore bear his name as the authority. 
As I understand that Mr. Gray intends to remodel the genera of 
the subfamily Vulturine, I will say no more than to recommend 
that the name Vultur, L., should be retained for the group which 
contains V. fulvus, Gm., and the name Mgypius, Sav., for that 
which contains V. cinereus, Gm. (Aigypius niger, Gray). We have 
the authority of Bonaparte for this arrangement, which is far better 
than to transfer the term Vultur to the latter group. It is well 
remarked by the Rev. F. W. Hope, in reference to two of Latreille’s 
genera, the names of which were afterwards transposed by Laporte, 
that ‘‘ such changing of types creates great confusion and should 
never be attempted.’’—( Mag. Nat. Hist. n. s. vol. iii. p. 20.) 
P. 2. Add Polyborus, Gould, to the synonyms of Cravirez. 
P. 3. Mr. Gray follows Lesson in making Physeta, Vieill., a syn- 
onym of Herpetotheres, but Lesson gives no reason for this union. 
