My dear Strickland

I am much obliged for the Report,¹ which I have reread with interest & entire approval: I think it must do good & I am sure it would do great good, if followed.—

At p. 8, it occurs to me, to ask you whether you know of any name “glaringly false”, except geographical names, which when wholly & not merely partially wrong, I fully agree should be changed.— if you know any other cases, had you not better give an example?— if not, had not the limit of change be allowed exclusively to false geographical names?—² An animal if called “alpinus” & afterwards found to inhabit a low as well as alpine country, ought not, I presume, to have its name changed.— an animal called “albus” & afterwards found to be white only in the female or young state ought not, I presume, to have its name changed.— All authors, if left quite to themselves without rule or examples, (as in above cases) will think errors of their own discovery“glaring” ones, & will think themselves justified in changing the name, coining another & attaching their own name (ex. grat. Swainson or G. R. Gray)³ after it.— I hope you will take this into consideration, & I feel sure, whatever you resolve, after all the attention you have paid to the subject, will have every chance of being right.—

I have been thinking over the rule, respecting the “authority for a species”, (p. 15.)—⁴ the case does appear most difficult.— I think the plan you suggest, on the whole the best, though no doubt occasionally involving a search for the authority, who couples the terms—but it sends the enquirer direct to the original description, habitat &c of the species, & this I apprehend is what the enquirer generally wants.— Would it not be advisable to give some such reasons for attaching (Lin) to Tyrannus crinitus; showing that thus an enquirer at once know where to search for original specific description habitat &c &c & secondly that genera being fewer in number than species are always more easily found in systematic works, & therefore that the omission of (Viell) is not very important even in abridged ones, as in Cuvier Règne Animale. I would, also, urge on you to put the rule boldly that the tacker of two old names together should not attach his name, as the authority; at present it is only left to be inferred that Sw. ought not to follow T. crinitus. — Do think of this, I am sure, those confounded authorities are the cause of much confusion in Zoolog. Nomenclature. Excuse this letter written in haste. I daresay it suggests nothing, but what you have already thought of.—⁵

With my sincere wishes, that you may be recompensed for all the trouble you have taken, in hereafter seeing much good result from your labours.

believe me | Very truly yours | C. Darwin Maer Hall | Newcastle under Lime