ornithologist's text-book. 195 



able, and the classification differs little from that 

 adopted by Vigors, Selby, and other quinary 

 systematists. We object, however, to changing 

 the generic name Yunx to Torquilla, Ph<Btiicura 

 to Ruticilla, and other unnecessary and uncalled 

 for alterations of a like nature. We are well aware 

 that these names, now again introduced by this 

 writer, are not new, but, on the contrary, have 

 the advantage of priority; yet we do not clearly 

 perceive the end that is attained by changing 

 names now established by long usage, and which, 

 moreover, are intrinsically unexceptionable. What 

 offence also, we would ask, has the letter y com- 

 mitted, that it should scarce find a place in this 

 list ? and why is it preferable to write Pyrrhula, 

 Badytes, Bomby cilia, Colymbus, Ortyx, &c, 

 " Pirrula", " Budites", " Bombicilla", " Colim- 

 hus", " Ortix" f What do we gain by spelling 

 Cuckoo "Cucoo" or "Cuccoo", or Qwail " Cwaii"? 

 — For the rest, we have not a word to say against 

 this arrangement, and feel peculiar gratification 

 in recommending it to the close attention of our 

 readers, as the most complete list of British birds 

 hitherto published, and the only one which can be 

 considered in any w r ay a guide to English nomen- 

 clature. For further remarks on ornithological no- 

 menclature, see our paper on this subject, read 

 before the Worcestershire Natural History Society, 

 and printed in Art. V of our Supplement. 

 The next ornithological es£ay consists of "Sketches 

 of European Ornithology", which appears to be an 

 analysis of Part I of Gould's magnificent work, the 

 Birds of Europe. In the paper before us, the 

 generic and specific character, synonyms, and 

 principal habits of the birds figured in the first 

 part of Gould's w r ork, are given, with reference to 

 the volumes of Werner, Selby, Meyer, and other 

 modern standard Ornithologists, To those who 



