NOTES AND QUEP.IES. 255 



birds; and some birds become almost entirely black in moult indoors. In 

 the House Sparrow, (Sabine's) Snipe, and Redwing (as recorded by Mr. J. 

 Whitaker), the only other British melanisms that occur to me, this 

 abnormal plumage only occurs in wild birds ; and the same is probably 

 true of gular melanism, as illustrated by the Bramblings figured in 

 Rowley's 'Ornithological Miscellany.' — Hugh A. Macpherson. 



The Scientific Name of the European Thick-knee. — For years 

 ornithologists have been content to designate this species by Temminck's 

 name, (Edicnemus crepitans, bestowed by him in his ' Manuel d'Ornithologie,' 

 ii., p. 521 (1815 — 1820). But that love of change which many scientific 

 writers of the present day appear to be unable to resist, coupled, it must be 

 said, with a desire to apply conscientiously the Stricklandian code of rules 

 for zoological nomenclature, has resulted in this time-honoured name being 

 discarded, and a fresh one substituted. Mr. Dresser, in his excellent and 

 authoritative work on the ' Birds of Europe,' writes this species down as 

 (Edicnemus scolopax, S. G. Gmelin, and doubtless, on the strength of his 

 opinion, many writers will now follow his lead. It seems to me, however, 

 that this name is wholly inadmissible, since it directly contravenes the rule 

 which provides that " specific names when adopted as generic must be 

 changed." S. G. Gmelin's specific name Scolopax has been adopted as 

 generic, being now omnium consensu restricted to the Woodcocks ; therefore 

 it must be changed. It might have been well to let crepitans, Temm., 

 stand ; but if an older name can be found to which a recognisable descrip- 

 tion is attached, the rigorous law of priority demands its adoption. Such 

 a name is that of Piller and Mitterpacher, who in 1782 described our 

 Thick-knee [Iter per Poser/anam Sclavonic provinciam, p. 26, tab. iii.) as 

 Charadrius illyricus. Although in the Latin description which these 

 authors have given of their bird some few errors are apparent, the figure 

 (tab. iii.) shows that the species referred to is the European Thick-knee. If 

 Temminck's name, therefore, is to be discarded, (Edicnemus illyricus (Piller 

 and Mitterpacher), for the reasons given, should be adopted in preference 

 to that proposed by Mr. Dresser. — J. E. Harting. 



The Marsh Tit in Oxford. — Strolling along St. Giles, Oxford, one 

 morning in Nov., 1882, about 8 a.m., I came across a Marsh Tit busily 

 hunting for insects on the panes of the lamp-posts ; flitting from side to 

 side, he clung to the iron framework whilst the crannies were carefully 

 explored. I had never seen any Titmice foraging on lamp-posts before, and 

 therefore venture to record it. The Marsh Tit loves to feed on the small 

 beetles that haunt roses ; at times I have seen it pitch on the high road in 

 order to search for insects in horse-droppings. It is even more partial to 

 the seeds of sunflower than Parus major. In autumn it feeds largely on 

 thistle-seeds, and this is especially the case, I think, in Epping Forest. — 

 H. A. Macpherson. 



