ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES. 
Nouvelle Classification des Picinées ow Pics, devant servir de base a 
une Monographie de ces Oiseaua Grimpeurs, accompagnie de planches 
peintes. Par M. Alfred Malherbe. 8yo. Metz, July, 1850. 
ATER several years devoted to the study and classification of the 
family of Picidee, M. Malherbe has issued the above pamphlet as a 
kind of Prodromus to the monograph which he intends to publish 
of the entire family. He here gives us his definitions of the genera, 
and the names and synonymes of a few illustrative species of each 
genus, and adds such critical observations as appear necessary. 
Before referring to the arrangement of M. Malherbe, we must make 
afew remarks on his nomenclature. And here we regret to find, 
that in a work intended as a permanent authority for the study of 
Picidee, the author should have boldly discarded the whole of the 
Seneri¢ names previously established, except two, and substituted 
an entirely new terminology of his own. He says, “ To avoid the 
confusion caused by the creation of new genera, which are perhaps 
too numerous in Ornithology, I have thonght it useful to adopt a 
termination which has the great advantage of reminding us of the 
lmn@an genus, of which these genera are subdivisions. Thus, all 
NY genera of Picidce, with four toes, are indicated by the termina- 
i Picos or picus, and those with three toes, by the termination 
Prcoides,” 3 
At the time — some eighty year's ago — when naturalists first 
began to add to, or to subdivide the genera of Linneus, it might 
‘ve been worth considering whether the principle adopted by M. 
alherbe was attainable in practice, and whether the memoria 
technica which it afforded, was sufficiently valuable to justify the 
nae 2. Such sesquipedalian words as it would frequently produce. 
ut it is vain to hope for any such symmetrical system of nomen- 
ee now, when some 20,000 generic names have been introduced 
rice ee ; and if it cannot be uniformly adopted throughout the 
ceptio animal kingdom, why are we to be expected to make an ex- 
n In favour of one family of birds? The only safe principle 
to , the ose 
W in zoological nomenclature, is the law of priority, rigidly 
