BIDGWAY’s catalogue of north AMERICAN BIRDS. 31 
are clearer, and the size perceptibly larger in the European 
forms. I expect in a few years each of these slightly differenti- 
ating forms will receive a distinct specific name. 
Furthermore, as soon as three or four slightly divergent 
species are found to have a few characteristics in common, these 
three or four species are erected into a new genus, and our 
already far too numerous generic names are further increased. 
This continual increase in generic and specific names is most 
confusing and burdensome to the student. 
The “Trinomial” system will, I believe, be nearly as great 
an improvement as the “ Binomial ” was over the chaos of 
nomenclature which preceded it. 
The great point in any name, the great help to the student 
in fixing it in his memory, is that it should give him a clue to 
the analogies of the species ; and as clearly defined species are 
invariably named first, and most easily recognized, the more 
obscure and intergrading forms should be named so as to shew 
clearly their analogy to well-known forms. 
Take, for instance, the two woodpeckers on the table. No. 1 
is the “ Golden-Winged Woodpecker or Flicker,” Colaptes Auratus, 
This form is the best known, and occurs all over eastern North 
America, to the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains, and as 
far north as Greenland. Look now at No. 2, the Red-Shafted 
Flicker,” Colaptes Mexicanus. This form occurs in western 
North America, from the Black Hills to the Pacific. 
Now these two forms were described as two species by 
Swainson — Colaptes Auratus and Colap>tes Mexicanus. Since 
then, an intermediate form has been found, and designated as 
Colaptes Hyhridus, and these stand as three species in Baird’s 
Catalogue of 1859, but in Ridgway’s Catalogue they are reduced 
each to their proper value as under : — 
378. Colaptes Auratus. (I'he commonest and best known 
forrn.) 
