THE NIGHT CRY OF THE REDWING. 251 
I hope you have received from Miller the dried specimens of those plants 
which you asked for in your letter. Moreover, I return you my thanks for 
the pamphlet which you have bestowed upon me, entitled ‘‘ Flora Anglica,”’ 
a truly learned work and by no means unworthy of you. 
Farewell, most distinguished Sir, esteemed by me most worthily for your 
learning. 
Given at my house at Woodford, 
The 8th day before the Ides of July, 1758. 
[= 8th July, 1758.} 
THE NIGHT CRY OF THE REDWING. 
By FREDERICK J. STUBBS. 
‘HE Redwing is a familiar British bird, peculiar in many 
ways. The following remarks, while directed primarily 
to the nocturnal habits of the bird, will touch on several other 
points ; two of these are, alas, controversial. or instance, there 
is the scientific name, which is always important when the 
student is in the habit of consulting the literature of past years 
and other countries. The most ancient name for the Redwing 
is Turdus thacus, which was used by many of the ancient 
writers prior to Linnzus, and adopted by the latter systematist 
in his famous 10th edition of “ Systemae Naturae,’’ which is 
now accepted as the basis of our nomenclature. Some years 
ago it was discovered that Linnzus, rather hazy as to the dif-. 
ferences between Song Thrush and Redwing, had confused these 
two species in his roth edition. It has been suggested (cf 
“ Tbis,”’ 8th ser., vol. 4, pp. 665-67) that this confusion was 
nothing but a printer’s error. At any rate, it was detected and 
corrected by Linnzus himself in the 12th edition. Unfortun- 
ately, certain modern purists in nomenclature insist that no 
allowance can be made for the error, and claim that we must 
use the name T7urdus musicus for the Redwing. T. musicus 
is, of course, the traditionally correct name for the Song Thrush. 
This is a subject on which I am not qualified to pass an opinion, 
but I mention it here, because some modern writers when 
using Turdus musicus are referring to the bird which we all agree 
in knowing as the Redwing. To save time and space I propose 
’ to use only the unambiguous English names in this paper. 
The other controversy relates to the singing of the Redwing 
in this country. The question first attracted notice in the 
