158 Prof. A. Newton on some Moot Points 



XVIII. — On some Moot Points in Ornithological Nomencla- 

 ture. By Alfked Newton, M.A., F.R.S., &c. 



Criticism by competent critics is the last thing of which an 

 author ought to complain ; and I am far from objecting to the 

 spirit of the animadversions which Mr. Sclater and Mr. See- 

 bohm, in ' The Ibis ' for the present month, have made on 

 certain birds' names used by me in the revised edition of 

 Yarrell's ' British Birds.' Indeed I have to thank both those 

 gentlemen for the friendly, not to say flattering, terms in which 

 they are pleased to speak of my labours. It becomes me, 

 however, to attempt to prove that I have not gone so far 

 astray as they would lead their readers to suppose ; and this, 

 I trust, I may succeed in doing to the satisfaction of impartial 

 judges. 



Mr. Sclater begins his remarks (' Ibis,' 1879, p. 346) by 

 regretting that I have not explained my reasons for adopting 

 certain names in place of those usually current. To this my 

 reply is, that, where space allowed me, I have done so, but 

 that, in general, the amount of more important matter which 

 I have had to insert has utterly precluded me from entering 

 at any length on a subject like nomenclature, which interests 

 but few persons — those few being experts, who commonly 

 prefer investigating the subject for themselves. 



My friend next touches the question of the type of the 

 genus Striae. But here he has nothing new to offer, and con- 

 tents himself with the opinions that had before been expressed 

 thereon by Mr. Salvin and Mr. Sharpe. Of those opinions I 

 need not say more now ; for some years since I treated them 

 in considerable detail (< Ibis,' 1876, pp. 94-105). To the 

 remarks I then made Mr. Sclater does not refer. If he has 

 forgotten them I freely forgive him the omission ; if he has 

 not forgotten them, I well understand that it may be easier to 

 avoid than to answer the arguments therein adduced*. 



We then come to the specific name of the Short-eared Owl, 

 for which I have used that published by Pallas in 177 If- 



* For those who may not have the third series of ' The Ibis ' at baud, 

 it may be convenient to state here that the two prin cipal positions I 

 maintained were : — 



u (1) That the type, according to the modern notion, of the Linnnean 

 genus Striv, is clearly and indisputably S. struhda. 



u (2) Tbat in subdividing a genus Brisson's right to affix its original 

 name to the portion of it be cbose is not affected by his exceptional posi- 

 tion as regards specific names, and that the type of his restricted genus 

 Strix is also S. stridula." 



t Mr. Sclater says that herein "other authors have blindly followed" 

 me. Who they may be I do not stop to inquire; but surely it is an 

 assumption to infer that their eyes and opportunities of using them are 

 not so good as his own. 



