38 
of the common names bestowed on humming-birds, we give a 
gynoptical table. In the first column are the names given by the: 
collectors of birds, who are, for the most part, natives little fa- 
voured intellectually, and generally with disease of the liver, 
drunkards, or illiterates; the second column contains the names. 
evolved by scientific men of an ordinary intelligence, who do 
not often suffer from cirrhosis, who do not get intoxicated, and 
who possess great erudition...... 2 
Wo quite agree with Professor Herrera that the procedure 
of naming forms might be thus simplified, could we begin over 
again; naturally Professor Herrera shrinks from such a drastic 
remedy, since, as we already have a nomenclature extending 
over some 140 years, we must acceptit, and, to our way of thin- 
king, the only method of clearing the ground is to adopt strict 
priority in every instance. This, if persisted in conscientiously, 
must eliminate the endless synonyms now existing. But the 
obstacles in the way of even this rational method are very great; 
specialists cannot agree among themselves as to whether a form 
belongs to this genus or that.... He (Herrera) quotes nivety - 
five authors who have written on Alauda cristata, and shows 
that this bird has been put alternately into Alauda and into Ga- 
lerita by almost each successive writer. Now, if diagnoses of 
genera are any good at all, it is either an Alauda or a Galerita; 
there should be no dispute, and all we can gather from Herre- 
ra's table is that generic descriptions are so vague that no one 
can decide to which genus the bird belongs. | 
olas We must content ourselves with noting one ecrow- 
ning absurdity quoted by Herrera—that of Enema gonzalezi, on 
which he remarks, “Quelle politesse dans le langage de lá scien- 
ce! Quels termes bien appropriés et distingués!” 
«-:--. Todesignate 1485 distinet birds, not less than 8,827 
names have been used, of which 6,812 are considered as mea- 
ningless terms by the compilers of the catalogue. This is hi- 
deous. But as so many names are proposed by persons who, 
because they livé:at a distance from great libraries; are igno- 
