VI INTBODTrCTICWr. 



two such very similar names in his book by misadventure. Mr. Hartert 

 thinks that both names may be employed, awos being the Greek for 

 "weariness; a tedious thing," whilst airovs of course means "without 

 feet." There are many names in use, I allow, equally similar in appear- 

 ance, Pica and Picas for example, but I think that even in this case it 

 may perhaps be better to suppress Pica as the generic name for the 

 Magpies. As the latinization of airos and airovs is the same, Apus, it is 

 better that one of them should become extinguished, and the name Apus 

 for the Swifts, being posterior in date to Apus in the Crustacea, should 

 be the one to disappear, especially as it has but recently been employed 

 by Ornithologists *. For my own part I gladly accept any excuse which 

 restores such a well-known name as Oypselus ; and I only regret that 

 equally good reasons cannot be found to replace some of the old-fashioned 

 generic names which recent research proves to have been ante-dated. 

 These changes may be strictly correct, but they are very disturbing, 

 especially to those naturalists who are aiming at a universally recog- 

 nized nomenclature in Zoology. They appear, however, to be inevitable, 

 and one day we may hope to arrive at some degree of finality. I would 

 urge, however, on all ornithologists, that the fullest advantage should be 

 taken of any doubt which can prevent the displacement of some well- 

 known generic or specific name by a less-known one. 



As with the previous volume, I have received the greatest assistance 

 from my colleagues, who have looked over the proofs of this second 

 volume of the ( Hand-list.' Even with the ' Catalogue of Birds ' as a 

 basis for a ' Hand-list,' the production of the latter is an exceedingly 

 difficult task, and I shall greatly miss the revision of future volumes by 

 my late friend Dr. Elliott Coues, who gave me freely the result of his 

 great knowledge of birds and their literature. No friend could have 

 taken more interest in the work than he did, and his help was invaluable; 

 but the list of ornithologists who have gone over and criticised my 

 proofs is a long one, viz. : — 



England.— Dv. P. L. Sclater, Mr. Howard Saunders, Hon. Walter 

 Eothschild, Mr. Ernst Hartert, Mr. "W. E. Ogilvie Grant 

 Mr. C. ~W. Andrews, Mr. Eugene Oates, Mr. W. P. Pycraft. 



* Of. Stejneger, Auk, 1884, p. 230, ; Reichenow, Orn. MB. 1897, pp. g ; 26- 

 Hartert, Tierreich, Cypselidw, 1897 ; Bell, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (7) v. p. 480 (1900) ' 



