No. l.J THE AUSTRAL AVIAN RECORD 9 



without, but fortunately this is of no consequence to the 

 systematist, as they only bear vernacular names. 



With regard to the first issue of the first five volumes we 

 have not been able to get any exact dates, the first three 

 volumes being apparently issued in 1804, the fourth in 1805, 

 and the fifth and sixth in 1806. But in the beginning of the 

 6th Volume is written : " Ce sixieme volume etoit imprime 

 des le commencement de 1806 ; mais il n'avoit pas ete 

 mis en vente, et avoit ete livre seulement a quelques 

 souscripteurs." 



In the succeeding notes Ave record new names which do not 

 appear in the synonymy of the species in the Catalogue of 

 the Birds in the British Museum. That work must ever 

 remain a standard in this connection, and it is remarkable 

 how errors of commission and omission are still being per- 

 petuated by our foremost workers. Even specialists in 

 many cases have failed to add to the synonymy there given 

 which we have commonly found to be incomplete. In many 

 of the monographs new combinations abound, but these 

 do not concern the systematist generally but are rather the 

 care of the specialist and monographer. A majority of the 

 new names are what have been termed " useless synonyms," 

 but unfortunately such perform a purpose of invalidating 

 later names, and it is most imperative that such should be 

 carefully recorded in order to avoid error. 



The very first name met with well instances this. In 

 Vol. I., p. 344, Dumont proposed Aquela fusca for a form 

 of the Golden Eagle, called by some writers Falco fulvus. 

 This is, at present, and probably always will remain, a useless 

 synonym, but it invalidates Aquila fusca Brehm 1823, which 

 name has just been used by the B.O.U. List of British Birds 

 for the Spotted Eagle. Previously Brehm's name had been 

 considered a useless synonym, but a peculiar combination 

 of circumstances made it apparently the valid name : it 

 cannot, however, be maintained in view of Dumont's usage. 

 Dumont's name was omitted from the Catalogue of Birds 

 in the British Museum, though other new names and 



