CHAPTER OF CRITICISM. 
29 
birds.'* It necessarily is very similar to my former paper, but takes a wider 
view of the subject. If you would like to insert it, I may perhaps forward it 
for that purpose. It is applied more particularly to Swainson’s views and 
statements. 
I am, respectfully, thy friend, 
Thomas Allis. 
York , 11 th Mo. 4, 1837. 
We think we may safely state that we shall at all times be most happy to 
insert any communications from the pen of Mr. Allis ; and we will gladly re¬ 
ceive his proposed paper, having never yet met with anything approaching a 
philosophical refutation of the Quinary system.— Ed.] 
CHAPTER OF CRITICISM. 
On Ornithological Nomenclature. 
To the Editor of The Naturalist. 
Sir, —I cannot help thinking that my friend Mr. Morris has been unneces¬ 
sarily severe in his animadversions on me and on my paper, which you did me 
the honour of inserting in your September number (Vol. II., p. 302). I must 
acknowledge that I was rather surprised at the nature and manner of his observ¬ 
ations ; in short, good Mr. Editor, obstupui , steteruntque comae , et vox faucibus 
hcesit. His wit is so brilliant, and the edge of his satire so keen, that I was 
quite dazzled by the bright coruscations of the one, and I fear that it will be 
useless for me to attempt to ward off the fell swoops of the other. I hope you 
will in fairness allow me to say a few wmrds in reply, not in a spirit of revenge 
and retaliation, but with the utmost good nature and good feeling towards him. 
I begin by replying to his question— a whether I have ever read or seen Cuvier’s 
Regne Animal ,” that I am as little likely to quote works which I have never 
seen, as himself, or any other of your correspondents. He thinks it may be as 
well in some cases to mention the sources from which information has been 
derived. I will do so. I have never set myself up as an oracle in any depart¬ 
ment of Natural History, but I truly feel myself to be, what I stated in my 
paper, viz., “ a very humble student of the delightful Book of Nature,” and am 
always thankful for any information which I may obtain, even from the hum¬ 
blest source, and it gives me pleasure to be enabled to communicate any to 
others. What little knowledge of Ornithology I actually possess, I have obtained 
by a diligent perusal of the Regne Animal of Cuvier (an excellent English 
