June 1890.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



93 



snowflake in autumn when the plumage is 

 much mixed witli brown; only towards spring 

 does the white predominate. Snowflake has 

 been more locally applied than Snow Bunting, 

 so why not retain its universal name? Many 

 (if the same remarks equally apply to our 

 American Grass Finch. Its habit of running 

 before us on roadsides is a much more recog- 

 nizable feature to most people than its song. 

 In some parts of New England its sweet song 

 at sunset has received its deserved attention 

 and earned the name Vesper Sparrow, but 

 outside of that locality it is generally recog- 

 nized as the Grass or Ground Sparrow. Those 

 who are not acquainted with its song (l)y far 

 too many) would never know what bird is 

 meant by Vesper Sparrow, therefore that 

 name would only mystify rather than enlighten 

 the uninitiated. In regard to the Yellow- 

 winged Sparrow I am not so positive, as it is 

 harder to see than hear it during the summer 

 season, while in the fall the young are easily 

 seen and there and then characteristic colors 

 readily recognized. On that account I should 

 rather retain the old name. The same reason- 

 ing applies to the Black-throated Bunting, he 

 tells his own name; but as to Bickcisfiel the 

 great uninformed may well ask what the 

 dickens does that mean? H. H. — N. J. 



A VOTE FHOM ONE OF THE PILLARS OF THE 

 O. & O. 



Editor of O. & O.: 



How quickly one's eye catches the familiar 

 letters of his own name! Oh, if one could 

 only recognize a bird by as slight a glimpse! 

 I opened the last number at page 77, and in a 

 second my eye was arrested by my own name, 

 and when I read and found that I was one of 

 the "only thirty-seven" wasn't I proud? And 

 very good company I found myself in, too; 

 any one would be pleased to see his name side 

 by side with the other thirty-six. However, 

 this was not exactly what I started out to 

 write; I wish to lecord my vote in favor 

 of tlie new names on poetic and on common- 

 sense grounds, both. Even their opponents 

 seem to agiee that they sound better, and 

 they are, taken as a whole, much shorter. If 

 you add to the four pioposed by yourself tlie 

 three olTered by 'J. V. ("."the old names 

 have one Imndred and nineteen letters to the 

 new ones seventy-six. Tliree and four word 

 names are not wanted when one word ones 

 will answer. I am not, as a general thing, in 

 favor of changes, but when a change is an 



improvement let us have it; and certainly the 

 A. O. U. has done a great thing for us in 

 making a standard, and even if there is an 

 occasional name, to which we can not all sub- 

 scribe, it is so little bitter with so much 

 sweet that we should all join in holding up 

 the hands of the Union. 



B. A. G.—N.Y. 



DON T BELIEVE IN FUKTUER CONFUSION. 



Editor of O. <t O. : 



In regard to (\luinging names of birds, I think 

 it was a bad plan. They will never lose their 

 old ores, and I think they previously had 

 names enough and good ones, too. 



The Bay winged Bunting of Wilson and the 

 Grass Finch of liidgway now appear on the 

 A. O. IT. list as the Vesper Sparrow. It stands 

 to-day a Bunting, a Finch and a Sparrow, what 

 will it be next? As for Dickcissel it is a jaw 

 breaking name and does not sound American. 



Put me dow^n as favoring the old names. 

 Ridgway's is good enough for me. 



J. B. P.— Mich. 



THANK you! OUK SUCCESS WILL DErEND 

 UPON THE HELP OF OUR READERS. 



Editor of O. & O.: 



Noticing in the Apiil and May numbers of 

 the O. & O. that you desired a full vote of the 

 subscribers of that magazine, I desire to say 

 that I am heartily in favor of the revised 

 "A. O. U." names. 1 think they are up with 

 the times and much more applicable to the 

 species. 



I also desire to add a word in praise of the 

 O. & O. It is a first-class ornithological mag- 

 azine and always a welcome visitor to both my 

 wife and myself. Wishing you abundant suc- 

 cess, I remain, 



W. F. ir.— .V.F. 



NO BETTER AUTHORITY THAN C. .J. M. 



Editor of O. & ().: 



I cannot refrain from congratulating you 

 upon the appearance of the May number of 

 the O. & (.). I have followed the fortunes of 

 this publication from the little sheet, first 

 issued by Willard so long ago, to the present 

 time with great interest, and I can assure you 

 that the present number is by far the best that 

 has yet appeared, without any exception. You 

 are now filling a w^ant long felt in this country 



