76 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 15-No. 5 



used by the older ornithologists who wrote of 

 our American birds, and in that way they 

 became broadly known, if not "standard." 



All of these birds, the Snow Bunting, Grass 

 Finch, Black-throated Bunting, and Yellow- 

 winged Sparrow are abundant only in a com- 

 paratively small area, and it is only where a 

 bird is very well known that it receives a local 

 name, and it is hardly fair that such a name 

 should be forced upon people who do not know 

 tlie bird well, and therefore are not familiar 

 with the signiflcation of the term. 



When I saw the first list of English names 

 of birds, which was arranged after the new 

 "A. O. U." code and check-list, I was totally 

 unable to imagine what a "Dickcissel" and a 

 "Grasshopper Sparrow" were. 



Some of the new names are more poetic and 

 appeal to the finer instincts with greater force 

 than do the old ones, and I am very fond of 

 poetry, music, etc., but I don't want it in the 

 wrong place, and one of those places is in 

 ornithology. //. G. W. 



GIVES A GOOD REASON. 



Editor of O. & O.: 



My vote is in favor of the new A. O. U. 

 names. Think they are generally shorter, and 

 that is quite a point in their favor. Am well 

 pleased with the O. & O.. F. L. H. 



New Hamburg, Pa., May 1, 1890. 



DIVIDES HIS VOTES. 



Editor of O. & O.: 



In regard to the old and new names applied 

 to the birds published in the late numl)er of 

 the O. & O., of which you wish the opinion of 

 tlie readers of your journal, I would say that 

 I am perfectly satisfied with the new names, 

 but prefer using the old names of .5;>4 and 604. 



B. II. D. 



CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FIRST UNITED 

 FAMILY VOTE. 



Editnr of O. & O.: 



1 would say in regard to tlie changing of 

 some names of the birds that my wife and my- 

 self prefer the t)l(l names. We are very much 

 interested in ornitliology. "Snowflake" is the 

 name of a potato, and it is not a very good 

 potato either. Mr. and Mr.^. A. E. K. 



FAVORS THE OLD EXCEPT "VESPER. 



Editor of O. & O.: 



Seeing the question in tlie April O. & O. re- 

 garding the new and old names of certain 

 species 1 will give my idea as to which is the 



more appropriate name. I would say that, on 

 the whole, I like the old names much better. 

 Grasshopper Sparrow and Dickcissel are poor 

 substitutes for Yellow-winged Sparrow and 

 Black-throated Bunting; Snowflake for Snow 

 Bunting is fantastic, but a little too much so, 

 I think. Pine Siskin also I do not like as well 

 as Pine Linnet. But as to the other change 

 which you mention, that of Vesi^er Sparrow 

 for Bay-winged Sparrow, I must say I am in 

 favor of, for I think it a most ajipropriate 

 name, and we have birds enough named for 

 the color of their wings. A. H. H. 



HIS VOTE TIES THAT OF .J. C. C. S. 



Editor of O. tt O. ; 



The April O. & O. to hand, and your refer- 

 ence to the A. O. IT. and tlie common name,^ 

 noted. As an amateur ornithologist and oiilo- 

 gist I would say that I am greatly in favor of 

 the new names for several reasons. First, 

 because they are shorter, and secondly I think 

 them more appropriate, that is as a general 

 rule, in the new code. In the four mentioned 

 birds No. 1 is very little changed and tlie change 

 was really not necessary; No. 2, I think you 

 could not better the name as it is now; No. ;J, 

 I have not much to say concerning it as I do 

 not know it; and No. 4, the name is shorter 

 but I do not know where the new name comes 

 from. I think there are other birds tliat could 

 have been given that the comparison could 

 liave been brought out better. As a whole I 

 think the verdict will be in favor of the new 

 names. F. L. F. 



PUTS IN A SOLID VOTE. 



Editor of O. <fc O.: 



Having noticed in the April number of the 

 O. & O. a desire for a popular vote upon the 

 re-naming of some of our feathered friends, I 

 for one say, stand by the old names every time, 

 names which are more descriptive and aj^pro- 

 priate than the new ones. Black-throated 

 Bunting is by far a better name for our friend 

 than tlie outlandisli name of Dickcissel, better 

 call it Richard Cissel and do away with nick- 

 names. Why change a name for a new one 

 that is no improvement, much less for one that 

 is much worse? Give me the old ones every 

 time, also Ridgway's nomenclature for me, if 

 you please. Why all these changes by the 

 A. O. U.? Is not the old good enougli for the 

 Union, or must tliey stir things upside down 

 to let folks know there is such a Union? 



Excuse the length of this, but I could not 

 express myself with fewer words. .S. B. I. 



