PREFACE. Yii 



There is more in a ncmie in natural history than 

 one would suppose. The change, in these latter days, 

 of a Latin name generally means that the exact na- 

 ture of the beast is at last discovered. For instance, 

 the flying squirrel, Sciuropterus sabrinus, is a large, 

 and in winter a distinctly yellow-tinged, gray-coated 

 creature, whose white chest fur, if you blow it, is 

 lead-colored at the base. The commoner species, 

 Soiuropierus volans volans, is a different animal, 

 whose under fur is quite white. Not many years 

 ago these two squirrels were not distinguished apart 

 and therefoi-e were known by one name. To-day 

 the old name for the Virginia deer, Cariacus vir- 

 ginianus, is displaced by the newer one, Odocoileus 

 virginianus* The recent change means that until 

 this last winter (1898) this particular species has not 

 been properly distinguished apart from other species. 



But I can not lightly pass the old and inestima- 

 bly valuable works of Audubon, "Wilson, and Elliott 

 Cones without a tribute to their excellence. These 

 great naturalists were pioneers, and all they have to 

 say is worthy of the closest study; consequently I 

 have freely quoted such passages from their works as 

 I considered would throw a strong light on the sub- 



* Vide Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 

 p. 99, 1898. 



