THE VICTOKIAN NATURALIST. 103 



Notes from the Northern Territory,'' published in the Victorian 

 Naturalist, August, 1899, P^g^ 65, line 13, Malurus cruentatus- 

 howeri should read Malurus dorsalis (cruentatus), and (page 67, 

 line 43) Ptilotis /asciogularis, Fasciated Honey-eater, should 

 read Glycyphila fasciata, White-breasted Honey-eater, 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



VERNACULAR NAMES FOR AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



To the Editor of the Victorian Naturalist. 

 Sir, — I notice in your number for August a paragraph on page 76 

 referring to the criticisms of the South Australian Ornithological 

 Association, as published in the Begister, on the " List of Ver- 

 nacular Names for Australian Birds " drawn up by Mr. A. J. 

 Campbell and myself, and which, viewed in the light of the 

 present standard of ornithological science, are somewhat remark- 

 able. Exception is taken, it appears — first to the common-sense 

 names, descriptive of plumage and habits, given instead of un- 

 meaning Latin titles ; and second, to the antiquated and incorrect 

 Linnean classification adopted by Gould not being retained. 



As regards the first point, the object the authors had in view 

 was the doing away with the Latin names, given on the spur of 

 the moment, for want of an English title, by Gould, and instead, 

 bestowing English names, as is done in all other countries. It 

 may well here be asked what is the meaning to a field naturalist 

 or collector, so far as the individual is concerned, of such appella- 

 tions as Acanthiza, Sericornis, Sittella, Podargus,* Gerygone, &c. ? 

 A Latin name used as an English one, to a young collector or 

 student working up ornithology is simply outlandish. Imagine 

 English field naturalists being obliged to call the " Willow Wren " 

 the White-breasted Phylloscopus ; the Blackcap, the Black-headed 

 Sylvia ; the Wheatear, the Grey-backed Saxicola ! The idea is 

 preposterous ; yet it has been done for years in Australia, and is 

 what the ornithologists of South Australia apparently wish to 

 perpetuate for the mystification of field naturalists here. It has 

 never occurred, perhaps, to these gentlemen that Gould had no 

 object in giving apt titles to Australian birds. His work was 

 not so much written for Australians as for the scientific world of 

 Europe, and a Latin name was equally acceptable for labels in 

 English or American cabinets ! The same cannot be said of 

 Australia ; and the perpetuation of Latin names here is most 

 pernicious for purposes of nomenclature. The authors, therefore, 

 substituted names suggestive of the birds' habits, as in the case of 

 those used for Acanthiza, Sericornis, Sittella, &c., or by their 



* For this genus Lord Tweedale's very appropriate name, used in " The 

 Birds of Malay Archipelago," was adopted, 



