on Mr. G. R. Gray's i Genera of Birds. 3 



413 



with the exception that we are here enabled to go one step 

 further back, and to extend the benefit of the law to Brisson. 

 An author cannot be cited as the authority for a generic name, 

 unless he uses it in a generic sense. Now zoologists had no 

 distinct notion of a genus before the time of Linnaeus and 

 Brisson ; and, therefore, although the names used by antece- 

 dent authors may often be applied with propriety to modern 

 genera, yet in such cases they acquire a new meaning, and 

 should be quoted on the authority of the first person who used 

 them in this secondary sense. The so-called generic names of 

 Ray, for instance, are only appellations of species derived, in 

 most cases, from his predecessors ; and if we apply the rule of 

 priority to them we ought also to quote the names of Aristotle 

 and Pliny as authorities for almost every genus of Linnaeus. 

 Thus the names Puffinus and Locustella, though applied by 

 Ray to certain species of birds, were first used as genera by 

 Brisson and Gould respectively, and should therefore be 

 quoted on the authority of these authors. Linnaeus and Bris- 

 son appear to be the earliest writers who ought to be cited as 

 authority for the genera of birds. Brisson's generic defini- 

 tions are perfectly regular and systematic, and all those of his 

 genera which are additional to those of Linnaeus, may there- 

 fore be quoted on his authority. These Brissonian genera are 

 as follows: — Gallus, Per dice, Aquila, Asio, Coracia*, Pica, 

 Garrulus, Nucifraga, Promerops, Carduelis, Coccothraustes, 

 Colius, Pyrrhula, Polytmus, Galbula, Rupicola, Momotus, 

 Rhea, Casuarius, Himantopus, Vanellus, Arenariaf, Glareola, 

 Limosa, Ciconia, Scopus, Balearica, Cariama, Porptiyrio, Gal- 

 linula, Phalaropus, Colymbus%, Fratercula, Spheniscus, Ca- 

 tarrhactes, Puffinus, Stercorarius, Anser, Sula, Phalacrocorax 

 and Corrira. It is important to attend to this list, because 

 it has been customary to quote Brisson as an authority for 

 many other genera which he never defined, but only attached 

 their designations to certain species. The names so used by 

 Brisson are in the same predicament with those of Ray, Al- 

 drovandus, or Pliny ; they are merely arbitrary or vernacular 

 appellations of species, but do not become generic titles till 

 properly defined as such. On this principle the genus Buteo, 

 e. g., should be regarded as founded not by Brisson but by 

 Bechstein, who should therefore be cited as the author of it. 



* This name being too near in sound to Coracias, Lin., is susperseded by 

 Cuvier's name Fregilus. 



t The name Arenaria being used by Linnceus in botany, the genus now 

 stands as Strepsilas, III. 



X This genus is now called Podiceps, Lath., the name Colymbus being 

 given by Linnaeus to a different genus. 



