Page:Stray feathers. Journal of ornithology for India and its dependencies (IA strayfeathersjou11873hume).pdf/445



INDIAN ORNITHOLOCISTS are greatly indebted to both Mr. W. T. Blanford and the cditor of the "Ibis," for a most valuable and kind- ly notice of "Stray Fenthers" which appeared in the April"lbis."

This article is exactly what I hoped to see. With European museums and libraries to consult, Mr. Blanford supplies many of our deficiencies and corrects errors which, situated as we are here, are at times inevitable.

It is impossible to overrate the assistance that oruitbology in ludia wonld receive from similar critiques at Home of our work here. Aller all we are most of us in this country field naturalists; put us any where alont the conutry, let us fcel the temperature, have a glauce round at the plıysical character of the scenery ; see a little of the vegetation, and we can tell pretty well wlixt birds will be found in the neighbourhood : where exactly to look for them, what they will be feeding ou, where- abouts to look for their nesis, and a good many other particulars, the knowledge of which is of more value in our eyes than in those of what we somewhat irreverently term " Cabinet natura- lists." But Cabinet naturalists are no less essential to the real progress of science than field naturalists, and the great mistake Llal both classes habitually make, is to undervalue cach the labors of the others. I myself have 110 such feelings. I greatly prefer for my own part the outdoor work ; but this makes me only the more grateful to those who are content to plod over ponderous lists of synouyms, and correct the errors of nomenclature into which field naturalists far away from librarics and general museums are sure to fall.

And now to recapitulate, briefly, the corrections with which Mr. Blanford furnislies us.

First, he now concurs with me in considering Olucoris fl- vesi identical with 0. longirostris ; next, le points out that my Plionoprogne pallida ("Stray Heathers," vol. 1., p. 1.,) is an Al- rican species already named by Cabunis, Cotyle obsoleta, and by this specific name the bird must henceforth be known. Puffinus persicus, vobis ("Stray Feathers," vol. 1., p. 5,) lie thinks is pro- bably identical with P. obscurus; but seems to agree with me that more specimens are essential to a satisfactory conclusion on this point. Mr. Blanford is of opinion, and in this, the great aullority, Mr. Harting, is disposed to cover with him, that my Pulromias tennuirostris, is founded on a young specimen of Egia- lilis Hartingi, Swinhoe, (P.Z. S., 1870,1. 136, pl. 12described from the Yang-tsi-kyang in China. M