60 THE ORNITHOLOGICAL GUIDE. 



white appearance on the head, when contrasted with 

 the dark color of the rest of the plumage. The ap- 

 pellation, however, being now almost universal, is 

 retained in the following pages." Audubon, how- 

 ever, throughout his splendid account of this bird, 

 calls it the Whiteheaded Eagle ; and says at the 

 conclusion of the description : — " It is only neces- 

 sary for me to add, that the name by which this bird 

 is universally known in America is that of Bald 

 Eagle, an erroneous denomination, as its head is as 

 densely feathered as that of any other species, al- 

 though its whiteness may have suggested the idea 

 of its being bare." Orn. Biogr. vol. I, p. 169. Since 

 Audubon has adopted the name Whiteheaded Eagle, 

 almost all the naturalists who have mentioned this 

 bird, have used it too, — another striking instance in 

 addition to those before given in refutation of Mr. 

 Strickland's assertion that these " changes are 

 certain never to be adopted." Wilson corrected 

 many of the errors of his predecessors in nomen- 

 clature ; Audubon has corrected several of Wil- 

 son's ; succeeding Ornithologists will. correct those 

 of Audubon, till at last the Augean stable shall be 

 thoroughly cleansed, and this notwithstanding the 

 efforts of Mr. Strickland and those of his stamp, 

 to prevent it. 



I shall now extract a passage or two from another, 

 and if possible, still more delightful Ornithologist — 

 Mudie, which shows him to be evidently not of the 

 " Strickland school." Speaking of the Hedge 



