118 NORTHERN ZOOLOGY. 



LAN1US EXCUBITORIDES. LANIUS EXCUBITOR. 



Exterior lateral scales of the tarsus divided Exterior lateral scales of the tarsus entire, 



into several pieces, exclusive of those towards exclusive of those at the base, 

 the base of the claws. 



Extreme length of the wing, when closed, Extreme length of the wing, when closed, 



3 T 8 o inches. nearly 4^ inches. 



Proportionate length of the primaries the 

 same in both. 



Tail considerably graduated, the outer fea- Tail less graduated, the outer feather being, 



ther being 1-^jj shorter than the middle ones. in one specimen, only -{'-$, and, in the other, 



T 8 ff shorter than the middle ones. 



Upon these data we ground our opinion that this is not the excabitor of 

 Europe. 



It therefore now only remains to be considered whether, in this intricate in- 

 quiry, we can derive any assistance from the writings of the last age. On this 

 task we shall enter, not only from a wish of satisfying ourselves on this subject, 

 but to exemplify, by one striking instance, the impossibility of adopting names or 

 relying upon descriptions, published at a time when ornithology was in its 

 infancy. The following details will further show that, so far from facilitating the 

 researches of the moderns by reviving these dubious names and vague records, 

 with the laudable intention of establishing the priority of nomenclature, we shall 

 involve the whole in inextricable confusion ; and, worse than this, we shall do 

 signal injustice to those faithful and accurate ornithologists who, like Wilson, 

 Bonaparte, and Say, have stamped their descriptions by a name, the right under- 

 standing of which is intelligible to every one who peruses their works. Such 

 names, indeed, may be compared to good and lawful coin of the realm of science, 

 which will bear analyzing ; while those of former compilers, when thoroughly 

 assayed, are not unfrequently found alloyed by heterogeneous mixtures, which 

 almost defy the power of the alchemist to part. 



The first systematic writer, in whose works we find the name of Lanius Ludovi- 

 cianus, is Brisson, a naturalist whom no one of ancient or modern times has 

 excelled in exact and faithful description : unfortunately, in this instance, there is 

 nothing positive to assist our research, further than that his specimen came from 

 Louisian i. We are, however, indirectly informed that its plumage is decidedly 

 darker than that of excabitor ; for the latter is described (vol. ii., p. 143) as " d'un 

 fortjoli cendrt clair," but the former as merely " cendre." He further observes, 



