178 ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS. 



it to the Accipitrine tribes, but distinctly indicate its 

 near affinity to the Vultures. On the other hand the 

 common people, of all ages and countries in which it 

 has been known, from a close observation of its man- 

 ners seem uniformly to have associated it with the 

 latter ; and Linnaeus adopted this classification, which 

 has since been generally followed. 



In the subsequent dismemberment of the Vulture 

 family this bird took the lead, having been first sepa- 

 rated by Storr, a naturalist of great ability, to whom 

 w^e owe much useful information collected during a 

 Journey to the Alps, and a sketch of an arrangement 

 of the Mammalia which may even now be consulted 

 with advantage. To the genus thus separated he gave 

 the name of Gypacitus, literally Vulture-Eagle, an ap- 

 pellation peculiarly appropriate to its position in nature. 

 M. Savigny, however, in his classical work on the 

 Birds of Egypt and Syria, has attempted to restore the 

 Greek designation of Phene, and thus to sink the name 

 of Gypac'tus into a synonym ; and in this he has been 

 followed by M. Vieillot and others of his countrymen. 

 But this seeming revival of an ancient name, however 

 desirable it might have been had the genus been origi- 

 nally established under it, is in reality an innovation 

 that cannot be suffered to pass current ; and the term 

 adopted by Storr, the founder of the genus, being not 

 only free from all objection but also strikingly appro- 

 priate, must, on every principle of nomenclature, be 

 considered as the true generic name. 



But it is not with M. Savigny as with many who 

 arrogate to themselves the title of zoologists. His 

 merits do not consist in the appropriation of the labours 

 of others, by the mere alteration of a generic name, or 

 the subdivision of a well known group for the petty 

 gratification of being quoted as the author of a doubtful 



