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becoming stronger. Mr. Swainson continues—“ Admitting that appropriate Eng¬ 
lish names should be used, who is to invent them ?” I answer that there would 
be but little need for exerting the inventive faculties ; for, as I said before, there 
are very few European or American* birds which have not at least one good name. 
“ Once attempt to destroy the received nomenclature,” observes Mr. S., “ and 
every field naturalist, every tyro of Ornithology will contend for the name he likes 
best. The Longtailed Tit, for instance, has the following names by which it is 
known in different counties:—Huckmuck, Bottle Tom, Longtailed Mag, Long¬ 
tailed Capon, and Mumruffin. The Yellow Wren , which in fact is not a Wren , 
but a Silvia (Silvia melodiaJ, is called also Willow Wren, Ground Wren, and 
Ground Huckmuck. A choice must be made from these, and by whom ?” No¬ 
thing is more easy than to make difficulties, and allege them in excuse of our re¬ 
fusing to do that which we know would be right , though are unwilling to perform. 
But true greatness is shown by overcoming , and not by giving way to, difficulties. 
With regard to the Longtailed Tit, I do not see why we should trouble ourselves 
by trying to displace that established name, unless indeed we agree to remove it 
to a new genus, in which case Muflin is at hand, without there being any necessity 
for raking up unheard of names from every corner of the island. If it were necessary 
to do this, a volume might soon be filled with such names as Captain, Proud-tailor, 
&c. &c., which are in use in different parts. With regard to the Silvia melodia , 
“ Song Willet” is the most appropriate name I have heard applied to it, and Sibilous 
Willet for the Silvia sibilans . The name Wren belongs to Anorthura , of which 
there are only two European species. “ Whatever reforms, therefore,” continues 
Mr. S., “ which experienced amateurs will admit, must be few and judicious, giving 
in general the generic or family name to the species; calling, for instance, all the 
ordinary species of the Silviadce, Warblers; except, indeed, those few groups which 
are already distinguished by a separate vernacular name, as the Redstarts, Wag¬ 
tails, Robins, and Chats.” Wheatear, Reedling, Nightingale, Tit, Muflin, Dun- 
noc, and Pipit, he might and should have added, so that of the fourteen genera of 
the Willet family described by Selby in his British Ornithology , eleven are popu¬ 
larly known by distinctive names, and of the ten British genera in the Finch fa¬ 
mily, nine are popularly known by distinctive names. The fourteen genera in the 
Duck family are in that work described under as many vernacular generic names, 
and I might multiply instances to the end of the chapter, were it necessary : every 
one of course has the Feathered Tribes and the British Ornithology , and those 
works will bear out my assertions. It thus appears that Mr. Swainson's plan— 
not the one he opposes—would be productive of most alteration if carried through- 
* It must be understood that I use the term America in the same sense as Audubon, 
namely, for the Continent to the north of the Isthmus of Panama; calling the southern 
Continent Columbia. 
* 
