﻿236 ON THE CLASSIFICATION OF BIRDS. 



that it became frequently very difficult to invent a name 

 expressive of actual peculiarities. His zoological genera, 

 on the other hand, were few, and he was thus enabled, 

 without difficulty, to frame his generic nomenclature 

 upon other, and certainly better, principles ; since there 

 can be no doubt that a name derived from some actual 

 property of the object it designates, is always more ex- 

 pressive than any other. But whatever were the mo- 

 tives that guided Linnaeus in this restriction, there seems 

 no valid reason — if we admit the principle that names 

 may be so framed — why botanists alone are to be so 

 honoured. We by no means wish to see a general de- 

 parture from this rule, for the reason just stated, con- 

 ceiving that all generic names should express the abso- 

 lute qualities of the thing named ; yet the same object 

 can be gained in a different way. Perpetuity is as 

 likely to attach to a specific as to a generic name ; and 

 thus the names of those who have earned the title of 

 " true" zoologists may be as effectually preserved in 

 the record of a species, as in the appellation of a genus. 

 This, in fact, seems to be the general feeling among us, 

 and so far all is well. But then comes the question, to 

 whom, besides true zoologists, is this honour to be ex- 

 tended? A line of distinction must be drawn some- 

 where, or the designation ceases to be an honour. Now 

 we conceive that private feelings on such a point ought 

 not to be indulged at the expense of violating the spirit 

 and obvious meaning of the law in question. There 

 can be no doubt that naturalists who have brought home 

 collections from distant countries for the object of bene- 

 fiting science, and have so employed them, merit being 

 associated with the great names that have enriched our 

 science by their writings and recorded discoveries. But 

 if every one who unknowingly happens to discover a 

 new bird is entitled to have his name attached to it, we 

 know not how widely this honour is to be distributed. 

 The captain of a trading vessel may bring home a 

 sc curious bird,'' which may prove to be new, and thus 

 may claim to have his name immortalised. Every per- 



