Birds. 2063 



I think it would show more respect to the memory of the author of ' Selborne,' for na- 

 turalists to continue these two excellent names, than to stick a staring ' Whitei ' after 

 * Turdus ' and l Testudo.' With the former of these animals he had nothing at all to 

 do, and the latter he did not discover to be a distinct species from the T. Graeca of 

 Linneus. To return, however, to birds. I was glad to see that the simultaneous dis- 

 coverers of the pink-footed goose called it by names so expressive as they did ; the 

 bird, whether spoken of with regard to tip or toe, can, by its name only, at once be 

 distinguished from its congeners : but I was sorry the other day at the name applied 

 to the new British duck, and it has already called forth one remonstrance against it 

 in the 'Zoologist.' I hope its discoverers, for it seems to have had several, will par- 

 don me if I venture to suggest its being called Fuligula or Aithya (of the generic 

 name I am not speaking) leucoptera, and white-winged pochard, instead of F. feri- 

 noides and Paget's pochard ; for in the description of it, it is said that it can be at 

 once distinguished from the dun bird, by the conspicuous white bar on the wing. I 

 think it is Mr. Blyth who, in his edition of the ' Natural History of Selborne,' has 

 suggested some excellent names : among others, I remember that he proposes to call 

 the redstart Phcenicula albifrons instead of P. ruticilla, which literally translated would 

 be ' red-haired red-tail ; ' the long-tailed tit also, Mecistura rosea, for caudatus — al- 

 though good when joined to Parus — becomes nonsense united with Mecistura, and the 

 bird's habits hardly warrant the application of vagans. I could mention several other 

 cases, but should trespass too long on your attention. I should like to see the subject 

 of names well discussed in the ' Zoologist,' for until it is I despair of seeing an ' Act 

 of Uniformity ' passed with respect to nomenclature, or when passed generally observed ; 

 and I hope that one of its first clauses will run to the effect that " Whereas it has 

 been thought expedient that the names of V. altivolans and M. minimus be restored, 

 as originally given by White, Be it therefore Enacted that they be and are 

 restored." I hope you will understand my meaning, that I think the specific names 

 given to animals by their discoverers should not be observed (much less any others), 

 unless they are indicative of some peculiarity of that animal alone. — Alfred Newton; 

 Everton, Biggleswade, February 18, 1848. 



Griffon Vulture (Vultur fulvus) : correction of a previous error. — The interesting 

 paper from the pen of the Eev. C. Bury, on the birds of the South of Spain (Zool. 

 1958), reminds me to correct a mistake I made in a notice on the same subject some 

 time ago (Zool. 1213). The vultures I saw on the banks of the Guadalquiver were 

 evidently not the Egyptian vulture, which I did not at that time know to be a compa- 

 ratively little bird. They were more probably the griffon vulture. I saw one of the 

 large vultures stuffed at Tangiers, and another in the Natural-History Museum at 

 Gibraltar, killed there by Sir Robert Wilson's son, if I remember right. As, however, 

 the Egyptian vulture is found in those parts of the world, my mistake is only worth 

 noticing for the sake of distinguishing the occurrence of the large vulture also. — T. 

 Wolley ; 3, Roxburgh Terrace, Edinburgh, February 7, 1848. 



Occurrence of the Rough-legged Buzzard (Falco lagopus) in Suffolk. — A female, 

 nearly mature, was killed in the neighbourhood of Woodbridge, in November. — F. W. 

 Johnson ; Ipswich, March 1, 1848. 



Occurrence of the Short-eared Owl (Strix brachyotus) near Worcester. — Two speci- 

 mens of this bird have lately been shot near Worcester. — M. Cur tier ; Bevere House, 

 Worcester, February 27, 1848. 



Occurrence of the Ring Ouzel (Turdus torquatus) in Suffolk. — A fine male speci- 



