56 THE CONDOR Vol. IX 



deemed worthy of separation, has been given exactly the same honors in the way of 

 type, position, etc., as the most strongly marked species. This lack of graphical 

 co-ordination, in the old lists, has, I am sure, thrn subconscious action, had much 

 to do with "exaltation of subspecies" by raising small differences to a prominence 

 in our thoughts far beyond the position to which they are taxonomically entitled. 

 The fact that a bird is a horned lark, is of far more importance than that it 

 resembles Hoyt's form of the species; yet the latter minor fact is often dwelt upon 

 with greater vehemence than the former major one. I should suggest that the sub- 

 species be printed in smaller t3^pe than the specific headings and be set back from 

 th« margin, in a manner that will indicate visually their real taxonomic value as 

 varieties. Something like this would, I think, be acceptable: 



761. Merula migratoria (l^iNN.) American Robin. 



Synonymy, range, etc. 



a. M. III. migratoria (Linn.) Eastern Robin. 



Range, etc. 



b. M. in. propinqua (Ridgw.) Western Robin. 



Range, etc. 



The custom of giving a simple name to one species, and the same name with 

 a qualifjdng prefix to the next has, in several cases, been responsible for much con- 

 fusion. Had the term "water thrush" been a generic cognomen and applied to all 

 the members of the genus, and had M. noveboracensis been differentiated as 

 "northern water thrush," the distribution of the species, in this locality, would not 

 be in the badly mixed state that it is now. 



Another feature that we want to see revised in the new lyist is the geographical 

 ranges. We have acquired a deal of new data on this point since the last I,ist, 

 and nothing is more needed, at present writing, than up-to-date geographi- 

 cal distributions. 



In regard to the extensive changes proposed in the vernacular names in the 

 editorial above referred to, it does not seem to be expedient to make any more 

 changes than is necessary. Of course it is just as important that the vernacular 

 nomenclatural tools should be good tools as the scientific ones, but fixity in both is 

 equally desirable. Adding qualifiers to existing names can cause little confusion; 

 but radical changes are apt to do so. Not being familiar with the western species, I 

 can hardh^ pass judgment upon many of the proposals made; but except in such 

 cases where the name is flagrantly misleading, such as calling a quail a partridge, 

 or vice versa, I should think caution should be practiced. We want fixity in the 

 vernacular as well as the scientific systems and minor inconsistencies should be 

 borne with to this end. 



Highland Park, Michigan. 



