74 BIRDS OF THE PLAINS 



changed about once in each decade. The object of 

 having a classical terminology is that naturalists of all 

 countries shall have a common name for every bird and 

 beast, and thus not be at cross-purposes when con- 

 versing or corresponding. But this object is most 

 successfully defeated when the classical name is con- 

 tinually undergoing alteration. It is practically im- 

 possible for any one but the professional ornithologist 

 to keep pace with these changes. A poor dilettante 

 like myself has not a look in. For example, I received 

 by the last mail* the latest issue of the Avicultural 

 Society's Magazine and noticed in it an article on the 

 collared turtle-dove of Burma. Wondering what this 

 bird might be, I looked at its scientific name and found 

 it to be Turtur decaocta. I looked this up in both Jerdon 

 and the Fauna of British India^ but could not find it ; 

 nor could I see any mention of the collared turtle-dove. 

 On reading through the paper I found, to my astonish- 

 ment, that the bird referred to was our familiar friend 

 the common or garden Indian ring-dove, which for 

 years has been called Turtur risorius. Risorius was a 

 name good enough for Jerdon, Hume, Vidal, Legge, 

 Barnes, Reid, Davison, and a hundred other good 

 ornithologists ; but because, forsooth, one Salvadori 

 would like a change, we shall, I suppose, be obliged 

 to adopt the latest new-fangled appellation. 



The museum ornithologist has yet another craze. 

 He sees that there must be some limit to the present 

 multiplication of species, so he has hit upon the brilliant 

 idea of making sub-species. Just as the inhabitants of 



* Written towards the end of 1906. 



