THE CANADIAN SPORTSMAN AND NATURALIST. 



251 



can be called " sedentary " in Canada, being 

 mostly winter visitors. The Barred Owl, on 

 the other hand, is given by Mr. Vennor as 

 universally diffused over the greater portion 

 of British America, and is a resident species 

 in most localities in Canada. It is, as a rule, 

 a "resident" wherever found, and in the breed- 

 ing season is much more abundant in the 

 Southern States than at Hudson Bay. 



On an introductory page, M. Dionne has 

 given a long list of "ouvrage consultes," but 

 he must have read some of them, at least, to 

 very little purpose. Had he, for instance, 

 read with any care the Bulletins of the Nuttall 

 Ornithological Club he would have seen in the 

 number for April, 1878, on page 52, the record 

 of Dr. T. M. Brewer that " It is now universally 

 conceded that not a specimen (of the Crested 

 Grebe) is in existence of American origin, and 

 that there is no authentic record of the capture 

 of a single specimen in America." It was 

 excusable in Dr. Ross putting the name of this 

 bird in his list, as the mistake in identification 

 had not then been published, but there is no 

 excuse for M. Dionne blindly following him. 



It would take a large volume to point out 

 all the errors which these two authors have 

 made. I have picked out these few quite at 

 random, but they will suffice to show how 

 little reliance can be placed in anything which 

 the books contain. Had they been content to 

 publish what they had observed, or could 

 have compiled from authentic sources, these 

 writers would have rendered a valuable service 

 to Canadian students and ornithologists at 

 large, but the publication of these books must 

 bring a blush to the cheek of every Canadian 

 who realizes that those claiming to be eminent 

 among our scientists are responsible for such 

 miserable failures. It is time such work was 

 stopped. 



The system of nomenclature and classifica- 

 tion adopted for "Les Oiseaux du Canada" is 

 that of Dr. Coues, which M. Dionne informs 

 his readers is in his opinion the most correct 

 and the most generally acknowledged. Well, 

 it is encouraging to learn that he is so well 

 informed in the higher branches of ornithology 

 that he can form a correct opinion of the merits 

 and demerits of the rival systems ; but if he 

 thinks that Dr. Coues' system is the most 

 generally used he is in error. 



The great body of American writers use the 

 system prepared by Mr. Ridgway for the 

 Smithsonian Institution, and which differs 



very materially from Dr. Coues', and, though 

 I freely admit that I can not judge of the 

 merits of either, I will take the liberty of ad- 

 vising all Canadian students and writers to 

 use Mr. Ridgway's system and avoid the con- 

 fusion which must arise if that prepared by 

 Dr. Coues should come into more general use. 

 Respectfully yours, 



Montague Chamberlain. 

 St. Johns, N.B. 



THE MEETING OF THE BEITISH ASSO- 

 CIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT 

 OF SCIENCE IN CANADA. 



Over four hundred members of the above 

 Association have pledged themselves to at- 

 tend the meeting in Montreal next year. 



" Science" says : — " In so far as accommo- 

 dations for the meeting is concerned, and 

 funds for its expenses, there can be no doubt 

 that Montreal can entertain the association as 

 well as an} of the British cities in which it 

 ordinarily meets ; and its geographical position 

 and facilities for access and for communica- 

 tion with all parts of Canada, the Northern 

 States and the West, present many attrac- 

 tions; while there is reason to hope that a 

 meeting of the British Association in Montreal 

 would be attended not only by all interested in 

 science in Canada, but by Targe numbers of 

 the scientific workers of the United States. 

 The experience acquired last year in entertain- 

 ing the American Association will also atford 

 very valuable guidance." We understand that 

 the difficulties in regard to the transportation 

 of so large a body across the Atlantic are now 

 settled, and all parties interested here have 

 put their shoulders to the wheel in order to 

 give our scientific brethren a cordial welcome. 

 We quote also from " Science," the editor re- 

 marking " that in the present year the meet- 

 ing of the American Association, at Minne- 

 apolis, is early (Aug. 1 7) ; while that of the 

 British Association at Southport, which is. 

 besides, in the immediate vicinity of Livei- 

 pool, is unusually late (Sept. 19). This will 

 allow members of the American Association 

 to attend both meetings ; and it is stated that 

 the retiring president of the American Associa- 

 tion, and possibly others of its members, may 

 avail themselves of this privilege. This may 

 possibly permit arrangements" to be made 

 which might substantially unite the meeting* 



