On the Birds of the Lower Petchora. 105 
To sum up my answer to the objections made. I main- 
tain :— 
(1) That the type, according to the modern notion, of the 
Linnean genus Strix, is clearly and indisputably S. stridula. 
(2) That in subdividing a genus Brisson’s right to affix 
its original name to the portion of it he chose is not affected 
by his exceptional position as regards specific names, and that 
the type of his restricted genus Sériz 1s also S. stridula. 
(3) That should ornithologists, in the teeth of the law, 
persist in disregarding this right, there is a strong proba- 
bility, which may at any moment become a certainty, of its 
being indefeasibly established without reference to any excep- 
tion whatever. 
Finally, if the first of these positions be good, there is no 
need of the other two; for, according to our Code (§ 4) :— 
“The generic name should always be retained for that por- 
tion of the original genus which was considered typical by 
the author.” 
Magdalene College, Cambridge. 
12th December, 1875. 
XIT.—WNotes on the Birds of the Lower Petchora. By Hunry 
SEEBOHM, F.Z.S., and Joun A. Harvie Brown. 
Tue ornithology of the valley of the Petchora has remained 
up to the present time, if not altogether unknown, at least 
undescribed. The geology, botany, and ethnology of the dis- 
trict have been described by Keyserling, Schrenk and Cas- 
tren; but nothing has been published upon the birds of 
the Petchora. We ascertained in Archangel that Hencke 
and Hoffmannsegg visited the great river, and sent consign- 
ments of skins and eggs toa dealer in Dresden, through whom 
some rare eggs (doubtless from this district) found their way 
to Dunn and were distributed amongst English collectors. 
In consequence of the trade-jealousy of the dealers, these eggs 
were sold without authentication, and of course possess no 
scientific value whatever. We have been unable to ascertain 
that either of the above-named ornithologists‘has ever written 




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