2I4 Letters, Extracts^ and Notes. 



tliem have voiced tlieir disapproval of their recognition. 

 In the Nov. Zool. vol. xvii. pp. 492-503, I have pointed 

 out how few alterations are necessary if the Brissonian 

 genera are rejected. 



U])on the mutter of the nomenclature of the Wheatears 

 and Chats^ my reviewer wrote : " We cannot agree with 

 ]\Ir. Miithews's reasoning on this subject. Mutacilla cenanihe 

 ■was one of the three birds included in his genus Saxicuta 

 by Bechstein in 1802, aiul that name has been almost 

 universally applied to the AVheatears ever since that 

 period. '' 



This statement is scarcely correct. I shewed that from 

 1802 until 1841 Saxicola was used for the Chats, and it 

 is from 1841 tliat it has been misapplied. Dr. Sclater will 

 be interested in tlie following note, written by his "friend 

 and master, Strickland,'^ regarding this very point: "The 

 name Rnhetra, now first introduced us a genus (for the Chats) 

 by Mr. Gray, ought not to supersede the old genus Saxicola 

 Beehst. as restricted by Bonaparte" (Ann. & Mag. Nat. 

 Hist. vol. vi. p. 422, 1811). Unfortunately, in this instance, 

 where he was undoubtedly right, Strickland was not followed, 

 and iience this upset seventy years later. 



The only method of dealing with such matters as this is 

 to treat tlicm at once, and in a very short time unifornuty 

 of nomenclature will be attained. Tlius, the Chats must 

 liave a generic name, as Pratincula is not available. Then 

 why not use at once the correct name for the genus, 

 Saxicola'^ No other logical course is open, and to try 

 "by a little manipulation" to stave off the change, is a 

 childish method of a})proaching a difficulty. 



I am only interested in the nomenclature of European and 

 American birds so far as members of these Avifaunas straggle 

 to Australia. If I see such glaring errors as those mentioned 

 above go uncorrected, 1 can have no faith whatever in the 

 nomenclature of any fcjrm, and I have to consider each 

 name as absolutely wrong until proven right. Whereas, 

 if 1 sec the errors I come acrossi at once corrected, I can 



