510 Letters, Extracts, and Notes. [Ibis, 



The Sy sterna Avium, 



Dear Sir/— It is an excellent idea to have an Englisli- 

 sj)eaking Peoples' Nomenclature for the birds of the world. 

 Therefore, the ' Systema Avium/ undertaken by a combined 

 Committee of the A. O. U. and B. O. IJ., when completed, 

 will be more than welcomed by ornithologists in general. 



But why limit the Commission to these two countries 

 and not include representatives from the Royal Australasian 

 Ornithologists' Union, the South African Union, &c. ? 

 If political delegates from these latter countries were 

 competent to sit in the recent Council of Nations in France, 

 surely in matters ornithological, experts in the same, may 

 have an equal voice. 



Referring to the " International Code of Zoological 

 Nomenclature/' as pertaining to ornithology, it has been 

 " weighed in the balances and found wanting.'' Its very 

 key-stone (bed-rock priority) is insecure — i. e. has no 

 practical finality — a fatal flaw. 



The only real road to finalitj^ and that speedily, is for 

 some competent body, such as an English-speaking Peoples' 

 Commission, to issue An Authoritative List of bird- 

 names — the oldest, if possible, but not necessarily. Then, 

 time-honoured and appropriate names will have a chance, 

 if they be not ornithologically incorrect. Take a simple 

 instance. Almost every writer of importance for the last 

 sixty years has used (.'asuarius australis for the Australian 

 Cassowary — an appropriate and correct ornithological name. 

 Now, for some supposed technical error, according to the 

 " insecure key-stone " of the " International Code," we are 

 informed we must employ the name jo/insonii instead of 

 australis. This adds confusion to the existing literature 

 concerning the noble bird and is a drawback to the study 

 of popular ornithology, which would be avoided were 

 Casuarius a?(s/r«fe declared "An Authoritative Name." 

 I am, 



Yours, &c., 



Melbourne. ARCHIBALD James Campbell, 



Australia. Colonial Member B. O. U. 



15 January, 1920. 



