19S OJT THE CLASSIFICATION OP BIRnS, 
we ourselves, and other modern writers, describe as 
“ new species,” or as “ apparently unrecorded,” have 
actually been known to, and mentioned by, the older 
ornithologists, could they themselves point out the de- 
scription intended to he applicable ; but this sort of in- 
formation cannot, of course, be obtained; and we have 
consequently no other resource than to give such a 
description of our species as will save us from incurring 
the same censure from those who come after us. 
(16’8.) Another evil that has tended to throw our 
correct specific nomenclature so immeasurably Ixthind 
our knowledge of forms, is the habit which some natu- 
ralists of the present day have adopted, of distributing 
the birds which tliey find described in the old systems, 
under what they conceive to be their modern genera, 
without having seen or examined the species them- 
selves. Unfortunately for science, M. Cuvier first set 
an example of this mode of proceeding, which has since 
been followed up, especially by his translators, to such 
an extent, that we have merely the confusion of the 
Linnsean school revived, only under a different form. 
These compiled classifications are even more detrimental 
to a sound knowledge of ornithology than if the species 
had been left in their original obscurity ; for the stu- 
dent, seeing the new genera adopteil, is led to believe 
that the species placed under each have been ascertained 
as truly belonging thereto ; whereas, perhaps, three or 
four only have been actually examined, and the re- 
mainder inserted merely from supposition : the orni- 
thologist not being informed which is which. Of 
the modern genus Tgrannus, for instance, it is very 
questionable if one-half of the species enumerated as 
such in Mr. Griffith’s Cuvier really belong to it. Truth 
obliges us to repeat that this is the general state of our 
present position in regard to ornithological species, and 
we mention it thus candidly that the student may really 
understand the difficuhies he will have to encounter 
when he ventures to enter investigate species. 
( 169 .) But there are many exceptions to these 
remarks, and we rejoice in enumerating them. M'ith a 
