ISS4.1 Mekriam oh the '■Cones Check List ami Lexicon.'' '2*7 



usiuill}'' grow with numerous inconsistencies and incongruities, 

 whicli must be accepted as they stand by the student of hmguage ; 

 but in a vocabidary which is constructed by scientific men for 

 scientific uses, there ought to be scientific precision and analogi- 

 cal correctness, at least in the formation of the words. Since it 

 is agreed that the Greek and Latin languages shall be tlie mine 

 from which this nomenclatui'e is to be drawn, the several struc- 

 tures should be built strictly upon the analogies of those lan- 

 guages. In order to secure this end, the framers of words must 

 be possessed of a competent knowledge of those languages, to 

 give them secure and accurate results. Not onl}^ is this true of 

 word-framers, but in a less though essential degree of word-users, 

 — in short, of all the votaries of modern science, of which orni- 

 thologists have become an important part. If all ornithologists 

 cannot become proficient Greek and Latin scholars, they can and 

 ought to acquire such an acquaintance with their terms that they 

 may be able to handle them with ease and assured exactitude ; for 

 there is scarcely an ornithologist who has not already been con- 

 fronted by the problem of making known his discoveries in print, 

 or hopes to do so at no distant day. That is the moment be\'ond 

 all others when his desire mounts to a positive passion to know 

 how to express his thoughts in a manner wortliv of himself, of his 

 discovery, and of the beautiful science which he loves. Hence, if 

 he has never made the matter a stud}' before, he will wisli to do so 

 then, and desire just such a production as Dr. Cones has set out to 

 place at his disposal. He will wish to know not only what the 

 terms are, but why they are so and so, or else he possesses no true 

 scientific spirit, none of that divine seeking which longs to be 

 right and know why it is right — that divine seeking which ab- 

 sorbs and masters every true devotee of nature and its countless 

 marvels. How necessar}- is it then that he should be rightly 

 taught, that the information laid before him should be as accurate, 

 and conceived in as scientific a spirit, as the knowledge of the 

 day will permit. 



When we turn to the philological portion of Dr. Coues's work 

 and examine it with these principles in view, we find it open to 

 criticism in numerous particulars. The plan is excellent, and the 

 great majority of the derivations are correct ; but the treatment 

 of some of the most essential points which should form the initial 

 training of the word-constructor and word-expounder is erroneous 



