340 NOVITATES ZOOLOGICAB XXIII. 1916. 



chapter, called in the Latin edition " Tentamen Naturalis Systematis Avium," we 

 find on page 7 : 



Rostrum ascendens ; apicibus utriusque mandibulae, minime sursum flexae, sed 

 ascendentis, altioribus oris angulis — Aetkia Tetracula. 



P. 13: Crista revoluta; pennis cristae in basi erectis, inde rostrum versus valde 

 incurvis — Aetkia Cristatella. 



P. 20 : Alae brevissimae ; initium caudae attingentes, nee ultra tendentes — 

 Aetkia Cristatella. 



I consider that these three items together form a better diagnosis than that of 

 many other recognised genera. Moreover, there can be no doubt that the specific 

 names used are Pallas' (an author specially mentioned as a model on p. 3 of the 

 " procemium "), and as both refer to the same species, the monotype of Aetkia Merr. 

 would be A. cristatella Pall. 



The correct quotation would be : 



Aetkia Merrem, Vers. Grunclr. Allg. Gesck. u. nat. Eintkeil d. Vög. i. — Tentamen 

 Nat. Syst. Av. pp. 7, 13, 20 (1788 — mentioned Tetracula and cristatella, which 

 names refer to the same species in different stages, therefore — monotype : A. crista- 

 tella Pall.). 



I see no reason why Merrem's name should not be adopted, but if it should not 

 be acceptable, we should have to revert to Simorhynchus, as Aetkia, as of Dumont 

 1816, is quite impossible. 



Authors fond of priority hunting, for which I have no time, might find another 

 acceptable name in Merrem's work, but I do not think they will, as the other generic 

 names used by the author seem to be all well known or, in one or two cases, not 

 clearly enough diagnosed to be adopted. Had the work been finished, we should 

 doubtless have known the meaning of all Merrem's names, also the specific ones, of 

 which several are not clear, at least not to me. 



