VOL. III.] Recent Literature. i8i 



the generic names adopted by the A. O. U., and Selasphorus floresii 

 in places instead of Trochilus floresii or T. riibromitratus. Analyses 

 ol" species and full descriptions are given, as also a "key to the 

 genera of humming bird occurring in the United States, Mexico, 

 Cuba and the Bahamas," adapted from the author's " Manual of 

 North American Birds." Opinions will differ regarding placing 

 Anna's humming bird as the most beautiful of North American 

 hummers; in California the popular vote would be cast for an adult 

 male Allen's or rufous humming bird, excepting, of course, the 

 straggler Floresi's humming bird. w.e.b. 



Outlines of Zoology. By J. Arthur Thomson, M. A., F.R.S.E. 

 In this volume Prof Thomson has presented the students of zoology 

 with a very valuable general guide. It is essentially a book for be- 

 ginners rather than "for more advanced students, the ground covered 

 being so extensive that no great attention to minute details is pos- 

 sible. The work is especially adapted to the requirements of the 

 novice, from the fact that it is written in a very fascinating style and 

 is clear and, for the most part, simple without any sacrifice of sci- 

 entific accuracy. Nearly a hundred pages of introduction deal 

 with questions of general and fundamental scientific interest — clas- 

 sification, physiology, cells and tissues, reproduction, heredity, 

 geographical distribution, paleontology and evolution. This section 

 is admirable for the terseness with which the ground is covered. 

 As might be expected, the author lays some stress upon his own 

 peculiar views with regard to metabolism, reproduction, etc., 

 although these are in no wise unnecessarily obtruded. A noticeable 

 innovation with regard to his classification is the inclusion of Balan- 

 oglossus and Cephalodiscus among the vertebrates. In giving his 

 reasons for so doing he says that in these two iorms " the verte- 

 brate affinities are well marked, and we shall at least emphasize the 

 fact that there are no hard and fast lines of division if we place 

 these two types at the beginning of the chordate series." 



The body of the work is occupied with a short account of each 

 class in the animal series. After a table showing the general clas- 

 sification of a group is given a "' survey of types," under such top- 

 ics as general life, general structure, minute structures (forms of 

 cells, etc.), reproductive organs and development. The structure 

 of each group is represented by a rather rough but clear diagram. 



