146 ON BIRDS’ NAMES. 
Europe among sportsmen, fishermen and those who do their 
business on the great waters, I usually found their informa- 
tion reliable as to the birds they met with; they might use 
local names, but they used them correctly; were often 
familiar with a bird in its various plumage of sex, age or 
season; and knew a stranger when they met one. But in 
our new land the case is very different; the most hopeless 
confusion of names prevails among the majority of duck- 
hunters ; in the same locality different birds are known by 
the same name, and the same bird by different names. Our 
common Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) 1 have heard 
called by at least five different names, most of them belong- 
ing properly to other ducks; while the name “ Widgeon” 
I have heard applied to four species, only one of which had 
a shadow of title to it; and the name had, after all, better 
be left to the well-known European bird (Mareca penelope). 
To obtain reliable data as to the occurrence of a certain 
species from those people who ought to know it best, is, under 
such circumstances, almost impossible. But are not the 
naturalists themselves largely to blame for this state of 
things? I here use “naturalist ” in its broad sense, which 
should include every thoughtful human being. Are they 
careful enough themselves as to what vernacular names they 
use? Do they not often use an incorrect name because their 
hearer has used it, or because all vernacular names are un- 
scientific, and therefore it does not matter? And if a cor- 
rect name is used, is it not often a “book-name ” utterly un- 
fitted for the needs of our democracy? 
The average farmer, boatman, or duck-hunter is not likely 
readily to learn such names as Greater Scaup Duck, Buffalo- 
headed Duck, Ring-necked Duck, or Red-breasted Mer- 
ganser. The name “ Brant” will continue to be misapplied 
till some handier name is found for the bird usually so 
called in this part of the country, than American White- 
fronted Goose (Anser albifrons gambelt). 
Now I do not wish it to be understood that I would 
