ornithologist's text-book. 157 



sion.) The families end in dee, as Falconiefce, Syl- 

 vian, Charadriatf<e, Anaiidee, &c. &c. The sub- 

 families terminate in nee, as Falconing, Sylvia/?^, 

 AnaXitMB, &c. &c. All the appellations of the 

 larger groups should be used in the plural number, 

 as in the above instances, whilst the genera alone can 

 properly be employed in the singular number. The 

 reason of this is sufficiently evident. The larger 

 groups are used in the plural number in order to 

 render them more comprehensive, while genus, 

 being the smallest division, must remain in the sin- 

 gular. This beautiful regularity in the terminations 

 of the larger groups is, doubtless calculated greatly 

 to lessen the difficulties of the ornithological 

 student; as by a single glance at an appellation 

 with which he is wholly unacquainted, he is thus 

 enabled to ascertain its value. He knows that if 

 it terminates in ores, it is an order or tribe ; if in 

 dee, a family; in nee, a subfamily; and, in any 

 other ending, that it must be a genus. We are 

 however sorry to remark that many modern genera, 

 and chiefly those of Vieillot, frequently have the 

 termination ina, which, being the ending of the 

 subfamilies, is calculated to destroy the order and 

 regularity that should pervade the whole of scien- 

 tific nomenclature. The names of all such genera 

 should certainly be altered. We may also observe, 

 as others have done before us, that species should 

 never be named after persons or countries, or from 

 their abundance in any one locality : — as Procel- 

 laria Bullockii, Siita Europeea, Coccothraustes 

 vulgaris. Those of the first class can only gratify 

 the temporary vanity of the individual after whom 

 the species is named, those of the two last classes 

 are either incorrect at the time they are named, or 

 liable to become so at some future period. We 

 could mention many other kinds of names which 

 should be avoided, but this we conceive to be un- 

 o 



