52 LITTLE RED-BILLED HAWK. 



This elegant little miniature Goshawk is said by 

 Schlegel to occur in Greece, and Malta is given as 

 another European locality by the late lamented Mr. 

 Strickland. Degland, however, doubts whether it has 

 ever occurred in Europe, and omits it from his list; 

 but he gives no reason for his doubt, and as in 

 addition to the above authorities, Mr. Gurney informs 

 me he has no reason to disbelieve the statements of 

 its occurrence in Greece, I introduce it here. 



I will take this opportunity of making one or two 

 remarks about the classification and arrangement I 

 have adopted in this work; and this explanation is 

 necessary, inasmuch as this bird is the first to which I 

 have not given its sub-generic name. 



I think there is no point in Natural History about 

 which we should be more rigorously careful than sim- 

 plicity in nomenclature. Since the days of Linnaeus 

 no one has observed this rule more strictly than the 

 late eminent ornithologist, M. Temminck; and therefore 

 I have unhesitatingly adopted his arrangement. A 

 celebrated naturalist observed to me a short time ago, 

 when conversing with him upon this subject, that we 

 must regulate our nomenclature by the progress of 

 science. In answer to this remark, I refer to the 

 synonymes at the head of this notice. . Seven eminent 

 men have given the Falco gabar seven totally different 

 names." Which of the seven is right? Science must 

 not be held responsible for what I have no hesitation 

 in declaring to be a manifest .absurdity, and this 

 argument falls to the ground. Each authority could 

 doubtless give his reason; but then the question resolves 

 itself into one of personal opinion and not of science. 



Linnaeus described all the Falcohiclce under one 

 generic term, that of Falco. Temminck admitted sub- 



