144 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



youth, growth, maturity, and decline, or which give us satis- 

 factory coloured plates of the same ? If we do not possess these 

 in all-sufficiency, and in large enough series at every inter- 

 mediate stage, from every locality whence they can be obtained, 

 why, then, should synonymy be further burdened, as it was 

 burdened on the broader basis of species by Brehm ? It is true 

 we have many great works on British and European, American 

 and other lands — birds, for instance— and it is true that in some 

 of these we have adult males and females figured, and in some the 

 " young in down " of Ducks and Waders. And it is true also we 

 have many illustrations of certain species in some one or more of 

 their immature plumages; but in how many — or any — of these 

 great and splendid works has any attempt been made to efficiently 

 illustrate a full succession of such plumages ? Where, indeed, 

 have any of such as have been given appeared, except as " taking 

 a back seat" so to speak? Why have we never had presented* 

 those various stages of plumage of all localities, seasons, ages, 

 &c, in intelligible foregrounds ? Is it because the materials are 

 still awanting in sufficient quantities to make sure? It would 

 almost seem so, judging from the fragmentary records which are 

 published. It seems to me that there are other questions, too — 

 yet undetermined — which require further time and experience. 

 Only a few of these need mention in order to show that some 

 initiatory investigations are still required before — even with all 

 the great collections in the hands of specialists — risks should be 

 run in multiplication of synonyms and trinomials. 



What do we yet know — or rather, what do we not yet know — 

 about the extent and power of flight of migrants under scores of 

 varying circumstances ? What yet remains for us to learn of 

 how far " birds of the year " migrate, and how far succeeding 

 generations of birds of maturer years migrate ? Do birds of 

 certain ages migrate at all, and, if so, how far ? Some we do 

 know of, but surely not all ; and does any collection display 

 series of all ages from all localities of even our own British 

 summer migrants? Even that collection may not yet vaunt 

 completeness "all along the line" — in all the stages of change 



* I do not speak of a few species here and there, but of the far more 

 general treatment. 



