158 THE AUSTRAL AVIAN RECORD [Vol. III. 



it could be applied without reconsideration to parallel cases 

 should they recur. Thus, British workers with access to 

 material, literature and authorities, and special facilities 

 for the discussion of such items, would fain deal with each 

 item on its customary acceptance. This is a useless method, 

 which is annoying to the extra-limital worker, as it makes 

 him insecure in all his work. Thus the " n.c." idea of British 

 ornithologists has done more harm than good, as extra-limital 

 ornithologists can trace, through the exceptions, lack of reason 

 and stupidity of performance. Had the " n.c." names been 

 excepted on reasonable grounds, there would have been some 

 means of suggesting other names, but at the present time 

 there are none. 



Thus, the inclusion of Nyctala, Grus and (E sir data have 

 no just cause, as these are rare or uncommon birds on the 

 British List, and, therefore, could not come under any of the 

 suggested reasons for " n.c." names. They have not been 

 familiar for a hundred years, nor are they used in medical 

 circles as exemplars. These prove how unnecessary the 

 " n.c." names are, and we hope that such will soon be dis- 

 pensed with. When a real case of hardship occurs it could 

 easily be met, but the only serious case we know of is the 

 T urdus musicus one, and it is capable of easy solution. 



