VI PREFACE. 



The specific name adopted in this catalogue is always that 

 used by Linnaeus, or the first describer after the establishment of 

 his Binominal Nomenclature to whom I can with certainty refer 

 the species. If by any mistake this should not be the case, it 

 has arisen from OA^ersight, or from my not having been able to 

 determine, with certainty, any previous description ; but when- 

 ever any instance of this kind is pointed out to my satisfaction, I 

 shall be always glad to adopt the correction. 



Although I myself make it a rule, when in want of a name, 

 always to ascertain whether an appropriate denomination is to be 

 fotfnd in the writings of the older Naturalists, I do not think 

 that any Naturalist is bound to do so ; and in no case do I 

 consider it right to take any of the names of the older authors, 

 however great may be their merits, in preference to those given 

 by Linnaeus. We owe this compliment to that great man ; and 

 besides, it is not fair to assume that our Binominal system of 

 Nomenclature was established before his time, because we meet 

 with a few instances capable of being referred to the invaluable 

 principle which he was the first to generalize and render uni- 

 versal. Throughout the list, I have quoted as Types of the 

 Species under consideration, the figures of the great works of 

 Mr. Gould and M. Audubon on the Ornithology of the two 

 regions, as they must be considered the standard works on the 

 subject. The merit of M. Audubon's work yields only to the 

 size of his book ; Avhile Mr. Gould's work on the Birds of 

 Europe, inferior in size to that of M. Audubon's, is the most 

 beautiful work on Ornithology that has ever appeared in this or 

 any other country. The latter Ornithologist has expressed his 

 intention of including in his Supplement all the European 



