PREFACE. 
IX 
this phenomenon, but the material is still rough and undigested, 
and many of the conclusions published are conjectural. 
4- The formation of local collections by the Museums of 
the capital towns of each county, which shall serve to illustrate 
its Avi-fauna, and explain the distribution of every bird within 
its limits. 
It would thus be possible to obtain an ornithological census 
°f the British Avi-fauna, a work which is much needed in the 
Present day. 
One word with regard to the nomenclature of the present 
volume. AVe have employed such names as we believe will 
ultimately be found to be the correct ones for the species, when 
an International Congress of Ornithologists determines to settle 
'vhat shall be the proper scientific designations of European 
lurds. At present there is considerable confusion in the 
nomenclature of our British species, the names of the “ List ” 
Published by the British Ornithologists’ Union being by no 
means acceptable to some of us at the present day, and differ- 
mg m many instances from those employed by American and 
mi man Naturalists. Then again, Mr. Seebohm employs the 
simple method of adopting the name most in vogue since the 
time of Linnaeus, or, as he calls it, auctorum plurimorum. He 
' S a * so an advocate of trinomials — such as Pams ater britanni- 
^ 01 thu English Coal-Tit, — an arrangement we shall never 
°Pt, as we consider it a clumsy and unnecessary method of 
msnclature, and one that in the hands of unscrupulous 
n erS ma ^ em Ployed Mb. to gain a little temporary 
Can 0nety ’ and end in making the study of birds impossible. 
clat; 1 an ^ sc ' ence bear the weight of such a system of nomen- 
c Ulc as would burden it with names like Caryocatactes 
yotatacies brachyrhyncha ! ! ? 
this re k ,arc * s t ^ ie changing of specific names of birds. On 
U h ect we hold strong opinions, which we know are not 
b 2 
