I 



ZOOLOGY. 681 



with the geueial title "A History of North Amerioau Birds,^ by Little, 

 Brown & Co., of Bostou, but, as we are informed in the preface to the 

 Water-Birds, "the cost of the publication of the 'Laud-Birds of North 

 America' was so great that the publishers of that work were unwilling 

 to continue it at their risk and exi)ense." At last, Piofessor Whitney, 

 the former State geologist of California, and Prof. A, Agassiz, the di- 

 rector ©f the Museum of Comparative Zoology, assumed the cost of pub- 

 lication. The volumes of "The Water-Birds of North America," thus 

 brought out, are nearly uniform with, and the practical completion of, 

 the old " History of North American Birds." A full figure of the bird 

 and figures of generic details in outline illustrate each genus, and the 

 head of each species is also figured. Both colored and uncolored copies 

 are jyublished. 



The water-birds are segregated under nine groups, four of waders and 

 five of swimmers. The orders of waders are Herodiones (i, p. 1) with 

 four families, Limicolai (i, p. 107) with seven families, Alectorides 

 (I, p. 350) with three families, and Phcenicopteri with one family; 

 those of the swimmers are Anseres (i, p. 419) with one family, Stega- 

 nopodes (v. 2, p. 120) Avith six families, Longipennes (ii. p. 191) with 

 three families, Tubinares (ii, !>. 344) with two families, and Pygo- 

 podes (II, p. 420) with three families. This arrangement was not pre- 

 sented as "strictly natural," but as the most apt at present "for the 

 convenience of the student." It was suggested that "the orders most 

 nearly related are the (1) Herodiones and Steganopodes, (2) Limicolae 

 and Alectorides, (3) Phcenicopteri and Anseres, and (4) Longipennes 

 and Tubinares. Of the Pygopodes the Alcidje present many points 

 of true relationship to the Tubinares and Longipennes, while the 

 latter are not far removed from th(^ Limicolai. The Podicipida; also 

 api^ear to resemble in some respects (perhaps only teleological) the 

 Steganopodes." 



The most notCAvorthy features, in the way of novelty in the new work, 

 are the revised groupings of the Tubinarine families, and especially of 

 the family of Albatrosses or Diomedeidffi, the increase in the species of 

 gulls of the family Laridai, and the arrangement of the family of Alcidie. 



Although published in the same year as Dr. Coues' " Key," the later 

 date of printing and the sudden acquisition of specimens and comparison 

 of all the forms enabled the authors of the Water-Birds to incorporate 

 two additional species of large northern gulls (Larus Nehoni of Hen- 

 shaw, and Larus schifitisad us of Stejneger), thereby increasing the number 

 of North American sjK'cies of the genus (including the Chroicuce^jhuli) 

 to nineteen. 



The large collections of skins of Alcids, or auks, muries, «S:c., and 

 various data resulting from the experience of Dr. Stejneger, in their 

 homes, threw fresh light on their characters and relationships, and a 

 new arrangement of the entire family was theresult, which is here given 



