Linnean Motacilla stapazina. 77 



among the synonyms of the Russet or Western Black-throated 

 Wheatear. Besides this, he makes the mistake of using for 

 this species the name S. rufa of Stephens, which belongs to 

 the Black-eared Wheatear. Next to M. stapazina Linn., 

 Dr. Sharpe puts in the synonymy S. occidentalis Salvad., 

 which I still believe to be the proper name of the Western 

 Puusset Wheatear. Finally, among the synonyms of his 

 Saxicola rufa (= occidentalis Salvad.), Dr. Sharpe puts 

 Saxicola catarince Whitaker (Ibis, 1898, p. 624), which, 

 whatever it may be, is a form of the Black-eared Wheatear, 

 and not of the Russet Wheatear. 



Mr. Dresser, in his recently published ( Manual of Palae- U. 

 arctic Birds/ uses for the Russet Wheatear the name Saxicola 

 .stapazina, attributing it to Vieillot, and leaving us ignorant 

 of the fact that it is a name of Linne's, who gave it to the 

 Black-eared Wheatear, which Mr. Dresser calls by Vieillot's 

 name, ee Saxicola albicollis." I suppose that Mr. Dresser 

 decided to do this in order to avoid the apparent difficulties 

 involved in the use of Linne's name, but I do not think that 

 the law of priority, especially as regards Linne's names, can 

 be so freely ignored. 



I add the principal references to the two species of which 

 I have been speaking, and from these we can easily under- 

 stand the history of their nomenclature. 



1. Saxicola stapazina (Linn.). 



QLnanthe altera Aldr. Orn. ii. p. 763 (cum fig. bona) 

 (1645). 



The Red or Russet-coloured Wheat-Ear (hen), Edw. Nat. 

 Hist. i. p. 31, pi. 3L (fig. posterior) (1743). 



(Enanthe fulva, part., Edw. op. cit. ii. p. 126. n. 31 (1747). 



Vitiflora rufescens Briss. Orn. iii. p. 457, pi. xxv. fig. 4 

 (optima) (1760). 



Vitiflora rufa, part., Briss. torn. cit. p. 459 (femina) (1760). 



Motacilla stapazina Linn. S. N. i. p. 331. n. 14 (1766) 

 (ex Aldrovandi) ■ Gm. S. N. i. 2, p. 966. n. 14 (1788). 



Sylvia stapazina, part., Lath. Ind. Orn. ii. p. 530. n. 80 

 (femina) (1790) ; Savi, Orn. Tosc. ii. p. 206 (part.) (1831). 



