UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
BUREAU OF BIOLOGICAL SURVEY 
WASHINGTON. D. C. 
May 17, 1909. 
Mr. William Brewster, 
145 Brattle Street, 
Cambridge, Mass. 
Dear Brewster: 
Allen writes me that the A. 0. U. Committee has decided to 
accent the names in the new Check-List. Do you not think this 
a great pity? Are we not doing enough in the high and mighty 
way by undertaking to say what species and subspecies shall 
and what shall not be recognized by American ornithologists, 
and what names they shall bear, without going a step further 
and attempting to dictate how one shall pronounce these names? 
Furthermore, if names are to be accented ( who is to be the 
authority? Do you know anyone who will undertake to answer 
this question? Coues committed numerous notorious blunders 
in his attempt, which, so far as I know, is the only one ever 
made on a large scale. How is it within the range of possi¬ 
bility to find authorities who will agree in this matter? 
It seems to me the action was taken very hastily and without 
due consideration of the difficulties in the case. 
In other words, I make two points against the accenting 
of names: (1) that it is an additional and unnecessary assump¬ 
tion of authority on our part; (2) that if we attempt it we are 
all at sea for a guide as to how to proceed. 
T 
Very truly yours. 
