454 Bibliographical Notices. 



his rejection of these names in favour of Hapalurus and Macartney a, 

 or in other similar changes. 



We also regret that Mr. Gray has not thought fit to adopt the very 

 simple rule given in the British Association Committee's Report for 

 the formation of the names of the families and subfamilies in idee and 

 incBy and from which a very desirable uniformity would have ensued. 

 As it is, we have Steatornince instead of Steatornithincey Podagirince 

 instead of Podagrincej Coraciadce instead of Coraciidce, Araince (!) 

 instead of Arince, and so on. 



A catalogue of the unabbreviated names of the authors of the dif- 

 ferent genera, and of the chief works in which they have published 

 them, would have been a very useful addition to Mr. Gray's List, 

 though one which would have doubtless involved a certain amount of 

 extra labour ; for even the professed ornithologist will be puzzled 

 to find the place where some of the names given in the List were 

 first promulgated. The fact is that certain authors are in the habit 

 of publishing names used by other persons only in MS., or for the 

 labels of Museum specimens, and which cannot therefore be recog- 

 nized previously to such publication. For example. Dr. Schiff of 

 Frankfort-am-Main, to whom several genera among the Piprince and 

 elsewhere are attributed, has, we believe, never published anything 

 on the subject of ornithology. Prince Bonaparte has, however, intro- 

 duced Dr. Schiff s MS. names into some of his recent lists of genera, 

 and they have consequently been included in Mr. Gray's Catalogue. 

 It would have been better had Mr. Gray in this and similar cases 

 given the name of the publisher of the genus as well as that of the 

 supposed originator. 



Lest the foregoing remarks should be thought to be rather in 

 blame than in praise of Mr. Gray's book, it is right to conclude by 

 repeating the commendation bestowed upon it at the beginning of 

 our notice. We regard it as a most valuable contribution to natural 

 history, and quite indispensable as a work of reference to the student 

 of scientific ornithology. Mr. Gray deserves the warmest thanks 

 of all naturalists for the great labour he has bestowed upon the col- 

 lection of such a vast mass of materials from so many different 

 sources, and for the care with which he has reduced them into 

 arrangement. We may also repeat our hope that his book will not 

 only be a useful guide through the perplexing mazes of ornitho- 

 logical synonymy, but also have some effect in checking those natu- 

 ralists, who, instead of following Mr. Gray's example and endeavour- 

 ing to assist others in clearing the way, are rather increasing diffi- 

 culties by useless additions to the already enormous catalogue of 

 Bird-genera. 



Descriptive and Illustrated Catalogue of the Histological Series 

 contained in the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons. Pre- 

 pared for the Microscope. Vol. ii. London. 1855. 4to. 



The previous volume of this valuable work was devoted to the 

 structure of the harder tissues of plants and invertebrate animals ; 



