468 Bibliographical Notices. 



The third order (Insessores), embracing 332 species — nearly half 

 the whole number of North American birds known — is divided by- 

 Prof. Baird (a la Cabanis) into Strisores, Clamatores, and Oscines. 

 The Humming-birds occurring within the area of the States, as now 

 extended, are seven in number, the Swifts are four, and the Goat- 

 suckers six, making seventeen members of the first of these groups. 

 The second contains two Kingfishers, a stray Motmot, detected near 

 the borders of Texas, in the State of New Leon, by the indefatigable 

 collector Couch, and is made up of the many members of the difficult 

 group Colopteridcs. Of the remaining section of Oscines North 

 America has representatives of all the families that are known to 

 occur in the New World, — a Certhiola, of the family Ccerebidce, the 

 only one hitherto supposed absent, having been detected on the 

 Florida Keys in time for the insertion of its occurrence in the Ap- 

 pendix. 



The fourth order (Rasores) includes the Pigeons, with eleven 

 species, and the Gallince, with twenty-one. Among the latter occurs 

 one member of the Neotropical family of Guans (Penelopidce), and 

 two species of the genus Meleagris, the sole representative of the 

 Phasianidce in the New World. The lately established Meleagris 

 mexicana of Mr. Gould is admitted as a probably good species. 

 Eighty-four Grallce and 175 Natatores make up the total of 716 

 birds considered as properly belonging to this fauna, being an increase 

 of 210 since the last general enumeration given by Audubon in 1838. 

 Of these, however, a certain number, such as Haliaetus Washingtonii 

 (which we have already alluded to), CJirysomitris Yarrellii, and C. 

 magellanica, both purely South American species, and a few others, 

 might, we think, be advantageously removed to an " Appendix spe- 

 cierum dubiarum" 



A Life oflAnnceus. By Miss Brightwell, of Norwich. 

 London, Van Voorst, 1858. 16mo. 



In this little biography of Linnaeus, intended principally for the 

 perusal of the rising generation, Miss Brightwell has portrayed in 

 lively colours the principal scenes in the life of the great Swedish 

 Naturalist. His early struggles, his ultimate success, his progress 

 to a world-wide renown, and to the highest honours his country 

 could bestow, are faithfully described ; and Miss Brightwell has 

 skilfully placed these in such a light as to show how much of human 

 interest attaches to the life even of a laborious naturalist. 



It is indeed from the fact that the latter term is strictly applicable 

 to Linnaeus throughout the whole of his career — alike when at Upsal 

 he was under the necessity of patching his own shoes with paper, as 

 when, arrived at the height of his reputation, he was graciously per- 

 mitted to smoke his pipe even under the queen's own nose— that 

 Miss Brightwell derives the moral of her tale, pointing out that, 

 great as might have been the native genius of the illustrious Swede, 

 it was not by this alone, but by the most patient and unremitting 



