64 THE ORNITHOLOGICAL GUIDE. 



rise ; and how grievously it retards the progress of 

 science. Surely, since there are already so many 

 difficulties in the road to science, it is desirable to 

 avoid adding to them — but how much better still to 

 lessen their number, and thus instead of simply for- 

 bearing from injury, to do positive good. Because a 

 person is not convinced at first of what I have 

 attempted to prove, he need not despair of finally 

 arriving at the truth ; and, for the encouragement of 

 such persons, I will state that I have reason to know 

 that the writer of the excellent articles on nomen- 

 clature in the Analyst, vol. II, p. 238 and p. 419, 

 (the latter of which I have in a preceding page ex- 

 tracted entire) was at one time as warmly opposed 

 to improvement as Mr. Strickland himself could 

 desire : but though long deaf to reason, light at 

 length broke in, and illumined what was before 

 enveloped in the mists of prejudice and ignorance. 

 A sense of the importance of the subject is becoming 

 every day more general, and however some may 

 oppose it, " a time must finally arrive," in the words 

 of Mr. Blyth, "when a complete and thorough alter- 

 ation will take place throughout Zoological nomen- 

 clature;" and the sooner that time comes, and the 

 more heartily all concerned engage in it, the more 

 sme and speedy will be the advance of the science. 



Having thus proved by facts and arguments the 

 superiority of correct over incorrect names, (it is 

 a matter of astonishment how so simple a proposi- 

 tion could ever have been doubted) I shall now 



