146 ON BIRDS' NAMES. 



Europe among sportsmen, fishermen and those who do their 

 business on the great waters, I usually found their informa- 

 tion reliable as to the birds they met with ; they might use 

 local names, but they used them correctly; were often 

 familiar with a bird in its various plumage of sex, age or 

 season ; and knew a stranger when they met one. But in 

 our new land the case is very different ; the most hopeless 

 confusion of names prevails among the majority of duck- 

 hunters ; in the same locality different birds are known by 

 the same name, and the same bird by different names. Our 

 common Ring-necked Duck {Aythya collaris) I have heard 

 called by at least five different names, most of them belong- 

 ing properly to other ducks ; while the name " Widgeon " 

 I have heard applied to four species, only one of which had 

 a shadow of title to it ; and the name had, after all, better 

 be left to the well-known European bird {Afareca penelope). 

 To obtain reliable data as to the occurrence of a certain 

 species from those people who ought to know it best, is, under 

 such circumstances, almost impossible. But are not the 

 naturalists themselves largely to blame for this state of 

 things ? I here use " naturalist " in its broad sense, which 

 should include every thoughtful human being. Are they 

 careful enough themselves as to what vernacular names they 

 use ? Do they not often use an incorrect name because their 

 hearer has used it, or because all vernacular names are un- 

 scientific, and therefore it does not matter ? And if a cor- 

 rect name is used, is it not often a " book-name " utterly un- 

 fitted for the needs of our democrac)' ? 



The average farmer, boatman, or duck-hunter is not likely 

 readily to learn such names as Greater Scaup Duck, Buffalo- 

 headed Duck, Ring-necked Duck, or Red-breasted Mer- 

 ganser. The name " Brant " will continue to be misapplied 

 till some handier name is found for the bird usually so 

 called in this part of the countrj', than American White- 

 fronted Goose {Anser albifrons gambelt). 



Now I do not wish it to be understood that I would 



