A02 Correspondence. [Ck:tober 



quality, and not only are these noted by the Indians, but their mythology 

 furnishes them with the exact when and wherefore the particular mark, 

 color, or quality was received. From the white head of the Bald Eagle to 

 the ruby on the head of the Ruby-crowned Wren, or on the throat of the 

 Hummingbird, every caaracteristic marking is accounted for. It is in the 

 recital of these and kindred tales that the long winter evenings are whiled 

 away, and though one may receive different versions of the same story as 

 told by different persons, they substantially agree. 



The etymologies of these animal names ai-ft also of peculiar interest, 

 since they well illustrate the primitive methods of word-making. 



Indian classification of animals and natural objects is very little under- 

 stood ; and if any ornithologist can work out, for instance, the classes into 

 which the birds known to a certain tribe are thrown, and ascertain the 

 basis for such Indian classification, he will have made an important contri- 

 bution to our knowledge of the workings of the primitive mind. 



Other points of interest in this connection might be mentioned: but 

 enough perhaps has been said to direct the attention of ornithologists to 

 the interest and importance of this kind of work. 



Very truly yours, 

 Washington, D. C, H. W. Henshaw. 



August 24, 1884. 



A New Element in Diagnosis. 



To THE Editors of The Auk : — 



Sirs: I think it would be advisable for naturalists to give careful 

 attention to the weight of the objects which they study. The descriptive 

 ornithologist delineates the bird in regai-d to size, the length of body, 

 expanse, wing, tail, tarsus, bill, foot, etc. ; respecting the color, he is care- 

 ful to describe minutely different shades, tints, and stripes, but genei-ally 

 nothing is said of the -weight. 



Of the eggs, the measurements of length and breadth are given, to 

 hundredths of an inch; the color, whether immaculate or spotted, lined or 

 splashed, wreathed or scrawled, the markings regularly or irregularly 

 distributed ; the ground-color and markings described to delicate tints and 

 shades — though usually, but not always, the maculates are uniform in 

 substance-color, the differences being due to the deposition of coloring 

 matter at successive stages of shell-formation — but tiothing in regard to 

 the -weight of the eggs. 



In birds of the size of the Robin {Turdus migratorius^,'\t might not 

 be advisable to express the weight in terms lower than drams, perhaps; 

 in the smaller species the weight should be given in grains, and the 

 larger in ounces and pounds, or their equivalents in the metric system. 

 The weight of the eggs should be expressed in grains, drams and ounces, 

 according to their respective bulk. 



This matter would require some skill and expense, and not every 



