102 THALASSIDEOMA BULLOCKII. 



In Jardine's Wilson (vol. ii. edit. 1832, p. 382, note) we find: — 

 " Procellaria huHockii ought now to stand under the name of its discoverer, 

 Thalassidroma buHockii.'' 



Mr. William Thompson, in the ' Birds of Ireland,' writes thus (vol. in. 

 p. 415, note) : — " Dr. Fleming, when giving the name buUockii to this species 

 in his ^History of British Animals ' (p. 136), states that, Dr. Leach having 

 intimated to him that Temminck proposed to name the species leachii^he 

 ' remonstrated,' but in vain, against his acceptance of a compliment to which 

 he had no claim. M r. Selby, in the same spirit, adopted the name bestowed 

 on the species by Fleming. If the bird were to be ' called after ' any 

 individual, Bullock, being its discoverer, certainly had the best right to be 

 so honoured ; but according to the stern law of priority, the term leachii 

 must be adopted." 



There is no law^ without an exception ; this should be one. Mr. William 

 Bullock discovered the species at S. Kilda, in 1818. 



Mr. William Macgillivray says Q British Birds,' vol. v. p. 454) : — 

 " Dr. Fleming named it Procellaria bullockii in honour of its discoverer, and 

 ' in order to do an act of common justice to the individual w^ho had energy 

 to undertake a voyage of inquiry, and sagacity to distinguish the bird in 

 question as an undescribed species.' Yarrell states (1st edit. vol. iii. p. 520), 

 at the sale of Mr. Bullock's collection in the spring of 1819 this specimen 

 was bought by Dr. Leach and transferred to the British Museum." 



In order to compensate Mr. Bullock for the way he has been treated, I 

 here give his portrait, taken from a print published April 8th, 1822, the only 

 one (after long search) which has fallen under my notice, and w^hich has the 

 appearance of being a correct likeness. 



Bullock's rival in this matter was William Elford Leach, M.D., F.R.S., 



