NOTES. 523 



with a capital and lias stood unchanged in ray list for long. 

 Indeed I should as soon 1 think, now that I understand the 

 matter, of altering Sula piscator into piscatrix or Loxia 

 enucleator into enucleatrix, as I should of altering- eremita into 

 eremitus; all three are pre-Linnsean names, thought worthy 

 of retention, intact, by the Hitter Carl, and not now to be 

 mangled by meaner hands. 



Possibly one bond fide slip does occur where, despite the 

 use of adjectives, he has not attended to gender, e.g. : — 



Turdxis atricapilla ! 



the atricapilla not being commenced with a capital. Even 

 here it seems probable that, though forgetting the capital, Linne" 

 intended to show by keeping the adjective feminine, that he 

 adopted his specific name out of Brisson's title Merula atri- 

 capilla capitis b. spei. 



However, as he did omit the capital, and did not, as in the 

 case of Fringilla be?tgalus, adopt a simple existing appellation 

 in its integrity, I should hold that we were justified in this 

 case in declining the adjective properly, and in assuming that 

 the retention of the feminine termination is here a misprint, 

 (just as clearly is the h in ochrophus, or albiulla for albicilla,) 

 which we are fully justified in correcting. 



On the whole I cannot doubt that our editors will be deeply 

 gratified at finding themselves justified in relieving Mr. Dresser 

 of the sad imputation of never having been to school, and at 

 discovering that instead of that unpardonable sin against 

 " the plainest rules of Latinity/' to wit the confusion of a 

 masculine noun in a, with the case of an adjective, Mr. Dresser 

 has only, humbly following in the footsteps of Carl v. Linn£, 

 reproduced in its integrity the specific name that he adopted 

 from a predecessor. 



Since my remarks about Chaidelasmus angustiroslris (sup. 

 p. 493) were printed off, I obtained a second specimeu of this 

 species, to-day, February 19th, in the Calcutta market. More 

 than one specimen of this species has, therefore, this year straggled 

 as far east as Calcutta. Indeed in all human probability two 

 having been actually captured within the limited area that 

 supplies our market, a considerable number must have visited 

 Lower Bengal. 



