THE ORNITPIOLOGICAL GUIDE. 75 



of the peculiarities observable in the family. Thus 

 Falco is the typical genus of the diurnal birds of 

 prey ; that family is consequently termed Falcon idee. 

 But it sometimes happens that Naturalists cannot 

 agree as to which is the typical family : thus Selby 

 thinks that Fringilla is typical of the family in 

 which that genus is found — he therefore calls the 

 family the Finch-family and Fringillidae. In the 

 Cycl. Nat. Hist., the writer thinks that Carduelis 

 is the typical genus — the family, according to this, 

 must be called the Goldwing-family and Cardue- 

 lidse. There is difference of opinion again with 

 regard to which is the typical genus of the Silviadse, 

 some conjecturing it to be Ficedula (called accord- 

 ingly Ficedulidse) others saying Regains (called 

 accordingly RegulidceJ and yet others pronounce 

 Silvia to be the type of the Family ; they therefore 

 call the family the Warbler-family and Silviadoe. I 

 am inclined to agree with the latter. The genus 

 Swallow (Hirundo) is usually taken as a typical 

 genus ; the family is consequently called the Swal- 

 low-family and Hirundinidce : Mr. Blyth, however, 

 in the Magazine of Natural History, (vol. VIT, p. 

 346,) suggests the Swift ( CypselusJ to be the typical 

 genus, the family he accordingly names the " Swift- 

 family CCypselidce") Some authors adopt the plan 

 of changing the generic name from one genus to 

 another, in order to keep the same family name as 

 was first in use, but this is productive of much con- 

 fusion and not one counterbalancimr advantage. 



