54 THE ORNITHOLOGIST. 



usual. A Nightjar was flushed from one egg, on May 23rd, amongst the 

 sand-dunes on the shore, and I should be glad to know whether it has been 

 observed nesting in a similar situation, as in my experience — some twenty 

 years — both date and site are unprecedented. Curlews were sitting on 

 April 25th, and the Buzzard on the same date. All the earlier migrants, 

 Chiffchaff, Wheatear, &c, arrived later than usual.— F. C. Rawlings 

 (Barmouth, June 9th). 



Nomenclature in Ornithology. — In a review of Dr. Sharpe's " Hand- 

 book," the editor expresses a regret that the learned author should be 

 amongst the opponents of trinomials as applied to birds. The bestowal of a 

 trinomial on every race or sub-species (so-called), is not only ' ' unnecessary " 

 and " clumsy," but its attempt would be attended by bewilderment and chaos. 

 No one has to my knowledge "explained with much show of success what a 

 " sub-species " is ; and if the editor is able to do this he will confer a real 

 blessing on naturalists. Indeed, until this is accomplished — and its accom- 

 plishment seems to me impossible— such names will often be misleading as well 

 as valueless. If it were possible to make an examination of every Ring Ouzel 

 (employing the word in its widest sense), inhabiting Eurasia at this moment, 

 ornithologists would be greatly exercised in assigning the exact number of 

 species and races, and it seems a not too violent declaration to say that no 

 two of them could arrive at a common conclusion. The ideas involved in 

 the use of such words as " race " and " sub-species" are necessarily more or 

 less misleading because such use is arbitrary, and hence it would perhaps be 

 as well — for the present at any rate— to dispense with these worda. — 

 W. Ruskin Butterfield (St. Leonards-on-Sea.) 



Mr. Butterfield's remarks in no way affect my arguments. To repeat the 

 illustration I adopted in the review referred to, I should like to ask Mr. 

 Butterfield whether he accepts Parus dresseri of Dr. Sharpe's Handbook as a 

 valid species, or as a geographical race ? If the latter, he can surely not 

 intend to defend its retention as an apparently valid species, when at any day 

 the Continental form may occur with us, thus rendering necessary the inclu- 

 sion of two apparently distinct species of Marsh Titmice in the British list. 

 If Mr. Butterfield's opinions are well grounded, he must defend the system 

 of leaving all but valid species nameless ; a system which not only directly dis- 

 countenances the natural process of evolution, but to my mind places the 

 student at a disadvantage by referring to two markedly different forms, from 

 widely-separated regions, under the same name. I think the dictum is 

 inevitable that no naturalist who admits the truth of evolution can refuse to 

 recognise the existence of differing geographical races. Having got so far must 

 we not give a name to such geographical races or sub-species if they are 



