Vol. xiv.] 88 



" This question has been rendered more especially interest- 

 ing by the recent publication of two Manuals of Palsearctic 

 Birds, one by Mr. Dresser and the other by Dr. Ernst Hartert. 

 It is in the light of these boohs that I will treat of this thorny 

 question. Mr. Dresser has dealt with his subject through- 

 out on ancient lines, and if that were all, no one could 

 object, but only express regret. It has been stated, however, 

 that Mr. Dresser's book is one for the ' field ornithologist/ 

 while Dr. Hartert's is one for the cabinet student only ; and 

 this assertion at once puts a most mischievous interpretation 

 on the different treatment of their common subject. It often 

 happens that two only slightly or scarcely different races of 

 a bird have totally different habits ; for example, the British 

 Robin [Erithacus ruhecula melophilus) and the European 

 Robin [Erithacus rubecula rubecula). In England the Robin 

 lives in gardens and orchards, sings loudly, is quite tame, 

 nests in walls and outhouses, and is, in fact, almost a 

 domesticated species; while on the Continent it is shy and 

 sings little, nests in low trees, and only frequents woods and 

 spinneys. In some places, too, it is a strictly mountain 

 species. Thus I maintain that often apparently contra- 

 dictory biological notes are due to the observations made 

 by ' field ornithologists ' on two different races of the 

 same species, and that this is a cogent reason for distin- 

 guishing local forms however closely allied. Mr. Dresser, in 

 his book, states that he has not thought it necessary to take 

 into consideration any race described under trinomials. 

 This has led him into at least two most ludicrous errors. 

 He states that Aluco flammea ernesti from Sardinia is the 

 ordinary dark continental race of the Barn-Owl, while, as a 

 matter of fact, it is the lightest of all the races of Aluco 

 flammea, being almost albinistic; and he further says that 

 the recently-described form of the Long-eared Owl (Asio 

 otus canariensis) from the Canary Islands is indistinguishable 

 from the ordinary Short-eared Owl (Asio accijntrinus) of 

 Europe. This is a proof of how far preconceived prejudices 

 can lead even a veteran ornithologist to make rash state- 

 ments. 



