2*26 ornithologist's text-book. 



sions ; and actually gives the name " Wren" to 

 three birds, belonging to two genera, whilst there 

 is not a single Anorthura in the family ! It is dif- 

 ficult, nay impossible, to imagine what benefit can 

 result from giving " Owl," " Wren," or any other 

 name, to five or six perfectly distinct and well de- 

 fined genera. What should we think of the Natu- 

 ralist who did likewise in Latin ? and who told us 

 that though he gave the name Strix to the whole 

 of the Strigidce, yet meant to divide the family into 

 seven genera ? — Although this may appear to be 

 carrying the matter to an extreme — and I admit 

 that it is an exaggeration — yet the principle is the 

 same, whether we look to the Latin or the English 

 appellations. Both belong equally to science, and 

 both must be made to correspond. 



It is strange that the principles here briefly ad- 

 verted to, have not received the attention they de- 

 serve, from the Naturalists of our own country, as 

 they have long been known and acknowledged by 

 the French Ornithologists. But the alteration 

 must and will be effected, notwithstanding the 

 opposition it may meet in its progress. New dis- 

 coveries or new principles — whatever be their in- 

 trinsic value — are ever viewed with a suspicious 

 eye, and are seldom appreciated during the lives 

 of their propounders ; but it is to be hoped that the 

 Gentlemen of this prosperous and flourishing So- 

 ciety will not allow the subject to pass unnoticed. 

 If any one would be kind enough to transmit to me 

 remarks in favor of, or controversial to, the opinions 

 herein expressed, I should feel sincerely obliged to 

 him, and would give all such observations due 

 consideration. 



I am of course fully aware that the desultory, 

 and perchance tedious, observations, here thrown 

 together, can in themselves be of little value, but I 

 trust that the mere introduction of the subject to 



