IV PREFACE. 



to avoid confusion, especially to young students, but such names maybe found in the index. 

 I have also considered it advisable not to occupy space by inserting lists of synonyms; there- 

 fore, only one appellation is usually given, followed by the name of the person who first 

 described the species or who first placed it in the genus in which it now stands, excepting 

 in some cases, where I differ from recent authors regarding the specific rank of certain 

 forms. 



A few words of explanation concerning my use of the name of Pipilo hucopis for a 

 species which had already been described by Dr Elliott Coues as Pipilo Alleni, may be 

 necessary. In the winter of 18G8, 1 discovered the White-eyed Towhee, as related on page 

 114, and took many specimens. Arriving in Jacksonville later in the season, I met my 

 friend, Mr. J. A. Allen, who had been collecting in Florida, and on conversing with him, 

 was surprised to learn that he had not noted any of the Towhees which I had found so 

 common. A short time after, however, I called his attention to some living specimens 

 which were exposed for sale in a cage in the city market. After examining them, we 

 walked down Bay street and going a short distance, met Mr. George A. Boardman who 

 was at that time unacquainted with the bird in question; I therefore informed him where 

 he might see a living specimen of my new Towhee. Up to that time, be it noted, no one, 

 excepting myself, had ever observed that there was a Towhee in Florida" having white 

 eyes. Upon my return home, I sent some specimens to the Smithsonian Institution at 

 Washington at the request of Prof. Baird, but upon condition that they should not be de- 

 scribed until I had decided respecting their specific rank. The Museum of Comparative 

 Zoology purchased the greater portion of my Florida collection but, as I was well acquaint- 

 ed with .Mr. Allen's views concerning birds, I had no fear of his describing the bird as new 

 and he did not do so in his "Winter Birds of East Florida" which appeared shortly after. 

 When I decided to publish my work on the Birds of Florida, I wrote Prof. Baird and other 

 friends, from Florida, stating that I had decided that the Pipilo was new and that I should 

 describe it upon my return. In fact, my name was in manuscript when Dr. Coues' Pipi- 

 'lo Alleni appeared in a foot-note in the "American Naturalist" for August, 1871, accompa- 

 nied by a short, comparative description in Latin made, as he has since informed me, without 

 seeing a specimen of the bird but based upon Mr. Allen's account as it appeared in the 

 "Winter Birds of East Florida" which Dr. Coues was then reviewing. Dr. Coues was at 

 the time, however, unaware that I was about to describe the bird. Influenced by the cir- 

 cumstances, I concluded not to discard my name and so published it in the prospectus 

 then issued and have since used it in the body of the work. 



The Ammodromus melanoleucus was described by Mr. Robert Ridgway as a variety, 

 nigrescens, a short time previous to my describing it as a species in "Rod and Gun", the 

 sixteenth of January, 1875, but, as I then stated and now think, I am not obliged to use a 

 name which has been given to a variety when I raise that variety to a specific rank. 



C. J. M. 



NEWTONVILLE, MASS., 1879. 



