Recent Oi-nithulogical Publications. 125 



them was first pointed out by Dr. Cabanis, and has since been 

 commented upon by Professor Burmeister, by ourselves, by Mr. 

 Wallace, and by other winters. The Capitonidcs are closely 

 allied to the Toucans in habits and structure. Like them, they 

 have but ten tail-feathers, and the fuj'cula imperfect at the junc- 

 tion of the rami. The Bucconidoi, on the other hand, are essentially 

 allied to the Trogons and Jacamars, with which indeed they are 

 united by Burmeister into one family. 



The Ardece are divided by Professor Schlegel into sections 

 which correspond to the different generic groups of most modern 

 writers. If Prince Bonaparte, who published the last account 

 of these birds in the second part of his ' Conspectus,' made too 

 many species. Professor Schlegel cannot certainly be said to have 

 erred on this side, and we think Professor Schlegel without doubt 

 the more nearly right of the two. But we wish he had indulged 

 us with Latin titles for the different sections of his Ardece, instead 

 of terming them " Petits Herons," "Aigrettes," &c. 



In the "Alcedines," p. 43, we observe it stated somewhat 

 positively as regards Tanysiptera, " On ne connait jusqu'aujour- 

 d^hui que quatre especes de ce petit groupe." Had Professor 

 Schlegel seen Mr.Wallace's rediscovered T. nympha (P.Z.S.1862, 

 p. 165), he would hardly have said this; and in our opinion, if 

 four species are to be allowed of the genus, we must admit all 

 the nine, as given by Mr. Wallace (P. Z. S. 1863, p. 24). 



5. American Publications. 



The Report of the Smithsonian Institution for 1861 contains 

 a paper by Mr. E. Coues and Mr. D. W. Prentniss on the birds 

 of the District of Columbia*. The list enumerates 226 species 

 as being met with in this locality, of which only forty-four are 

 " permanent residents." There are likewise forty-four " winter 

 residents," i. e. species breeding further north, and fifty-nine 

 " summer residents," i. e. species which resort to the District 

 for the purpose of breeding there ; the " spring and autumn 

 visitants" are fifty-four; and those of accidental occurrence, 



* " List of Birds ascertained to inhabit the District of Columbia, with the 

 times of arrival and departure of such as are non-residents, and brief no- 

 tices of habits, &c.," Smiths. Rep. 1861, p. 399. 



