279 
Review of Dr. Finsch’s ‘ Die Papageien.’ 
Hume's arguments in support of this subdivision have there¬ 
fore no bearing on Dr. Finsch beyond this, that our German 
author followed both Blyth and Jerdon and nearly every other 
Indian naturalist when keeping the species united, while Mr. 
Hume differs from them. Captain Hutton last year, and also 
for the first time (Str. Feath. i. pp. 335, 338), had already 
subdivided one of Mr. Hume’s three species into four distinct 
species; so that between these two Indian field naturalists the 
species, P. eupatrius, which Jerdon and Blyth had considered 
one and the same, is broken up into six species. “ Dr. Finsch 
did not discriminate these three species and perhaps may not 
admit them now” (t. c. p. 11). Quite true. Unfortunately 
Dr. Finsch had followed Jerdon and Blyth, and had not fore¬ 
seen in 1868 what Mr. IIumc ; s great superiority of perception 
was going to discover in 1874. Mr. Hume then proceeds to 
quote the greater part of the passage in which Dr. Finsch 
states his reasons, in opposition to J erdon and Blyth 3 s recorded 
opinions, though stated with complete courtesy, for not feel¬ 
ing convinced that the sexes in P. eupatrius are distinguished 
by sexual peculiarities of plumage (Papag. ii. p. 14). After 
which Mr. Hume exclaims, “ Please note the modesty and 
courtesy of this passage! Dr. J erdon and Blyth (who have ex¬ 
amined the fresh birds) state so and so, hut Dr. Finch thinks 
it is very probable that it is quite the contrary. Like the 
Psalmist of old, Dr. Finsch seems to have ‘said in his heart that 
all men are liars 3 33 (/. c.). There is not a word of discourtesy 
nor of dogmatism in the whole passage, though made to wear 
a semblance of egotism by Mr. Hume omitting, I will not 
say intentionally, to quote the concluding sentence. Here is 
the omitted final sentence with which the passage, as tran¬ 
scribed by Mr. Hume (t.c. p. 11), should be read. “Inas¬ 
much as I must therefore in the meanwhile leave the question 
undecided, I commend it to the attention of all ornithologists 
(lege ich sie alien Ornithologen an 3 s Herz) 33 (Papag. /. c.). 
Jerdon and Blyth state that the large rose-ringed Parrakeets 
of Ceylon, the Andamans, and of the continent belong to one 
species. Mr. Hume states that they constitute three species. 
Mr. Hume may differ. Dr. Finsch may not. We then are 
