Jan., 1921 15 
SUGGESTIONS REGARDING THE SYSTEMA AVIUM 
By RICHARD C. McGREGOR 
HERE IS NEED of a good check list of the birds of the world. The lists 
now available are out of date, and for other reasons none of them was 
ever satisfactory for general use. 
A world list should include features that are not found in any list so far 
issued. Of first importance is the sanction of an international body, so that 
the ornithologists of all nations will feel a personal interest in the publication. 
It is therefore necessary that an international body adopt rules of nomenela- 
ture that will be acceptable to the majority of working ornithologists. The 
various groups should be willing to compromise their differences of opinion on 
minor points for the sake of uniformity in nomenclature. The usefulness of 
Sharpe’s Hand-list is injured by slight differences between the American and 
the British rules. : 
Of next importance is the selection of a small representative committee 
that shall prepare a list with reasonable speed. A large part of the list can be 
made from existing lists and from monographie works. Little time should be 
spent upon the validity of newly described species, but they should all be in- 
cluded. When reasonable doubt as to the validity of a species exists, its name 
might be included in the synonymy, printed in distinctive type or indicated by 
a conventional sign. Completeness and speed in the preparation of such a list 
are far more important than final decision with regard to species based oun 
slight or imaginary characters. ; 
To win the place that it should have and hold, our list must be well han- 
dled typographically. Dubois’s list is well prepared in some ways, but its 
usefulness is almost destroyed by the poor selection of type faces and the cum- 
bersome size of the page. Sharpe’s list avoids these bad features, but is in- 
jured by the maddening arrangement of its indices and by the lack of refer- 
ences. The first part of Mathew’s list of Australian birds, in Birds of Austra- 
lia, is confusing because of his method of treatment of subspecies. 
A convenient type measure is 24 by 40 picas, printed on paper of 6 by 914 
inches. This is the size of the Check-list of North American Birds. A little 
larger type page, such as that used for the Proceedings of the United States 
National Museum and many other United States Government publications, 
might well be used. This page measures 26 by 46 picas on paper of 6 by 934 
inches, untrimmed. The paper should be light and thin, so as to reduce bulk 
and weight. The matter of type, both as to size and face, should receive eare- 
ful consideration. Accepted names of species and genera should be printed in 
a heavy-face type. Gothic type is very clear, but is somewhat too harsh and 
stiff for our purpose. Clarendon is often used, but in the usual fonts is too 
much condensed. Antique seems to me the most suitable face for eeneric and 
specific headings, and is the mcst pleasing mate for standard roman. 
The names of species and the notes on distribution should be set in 8 point 
type, Synonymy in 6 point, both leaded, with extra space above flush lines. The 
use of these small type would save much space, and as more names would ap- 
pear on each page, a required name would be more easily found. 
Generic names should be repeated before their respective specific names, 
as in the American list; this is a great help, especially in large genera in which 
