550 Dr. E. Hartert — Some Anticrlticisms. 



(Schaef), but a shepherd (Schaeffer), his names are not 

 admissible, because he did not use binomial nomenclature. 

 This can at a glance be seen on pages 25, 26, 32, 46, and 

 others; moreover, he took most of his names from Brisson. 

 If the Editors of ' The Ibis ' call " Pica pica pica " a 

 monstrosity, what is their opinion about 



" Alauda (Galerita) arenicola? Tristram, var. fusca"? 



Unfortunately, I have still one more point to argue. The 

 Editors have openly challenged me, asking : (f Can Mr. Har- 

 tert say that if British skins of these birds were mixed up 

 with some of their continental representatives, he would 

 always be able to pick them out ? " 



Why was this question put? Evidently with the idea 

 that one should always be able to pick out the various forms 

 which one recognises, and with the supposition that the 

 Editors — or I may say the senior Editor, because the junior 

 Editor has not named new species or written monographs 

 of difficult families of birds — can always easily distinguish 

 ("pick out") the species they recognise, or at least those 

 which they have descrihed themselves. Unfortunately these 

 views are both fallacious. The question was dangerous, and 

 the arrow from their bow is springing back to the shooters. 

 I will only quote two examples. In Cat. B. xiv., Musci- 

 saxicola albifrons Tsch. has been redescribed as Tanioptera 

 holospodia Scl., though specimens of both were to hand; in 

 Cat. B. xv., Pyriglena serva Scl. and Cercomacra hypo- 

 melcena Scl. are described in two different genera, yet they 

 are quite the same, absolutely indistinguishable. Where 

 have I done a similar thing ? Moreover, I am convinced 

 that I shall, as a rule, be able to pick my new subspecies 

 out easily if put to a fair test, although I myself do not 

 demand it, nor expect it in all cases for all future. In the 

 introduction to my book I have explained that it is no 

 longer the goal of ornithological studies to " name " every 

 single individual and to put the " correct name " on the 

 label. The most important thing is to find out and to 



