Recent Ornithological Publications. 401 



rartty and ^trepto'pelia harhara appear to be all. We cannot 

 quite understand how it was that some of the numerous species 

 lately described as new by Heuglin, from the same districts, were 

 not obtained. 



5. German Publications. 



A new portion of Cabanis and Heine's 'Museum Heineanum/ 

 lately issued, commences the enumeration of the Scansores of this 

 important collection*, beginning with the Cuckoos, Bucconidse, 

 Trogonidse, and Galbulidse. The aim of the work is extended, 

 Latin diagnoses of all the species in the collection, and indica- 

 tions of all other known species, being given, at least in the 

 latter portion of this part. The synonymy is also very full and 

 complete. But we see with regret the excessive multiplication 

 of generic divisions, and the many (in our opinion unnecessary) 

 changes in nomenclature proposed. For instance, Bucco is now 

 split up into Nystalus, Hypnelus, Chaunornis, Nothriscus, Aryicus, 

 Bucco, and Notharchus ; the American Trogons into Trogon, Ha- 

 palarpactes, Tmetotrogon, Pothinus, Aganus, Hapalophorus, Troctes, 

 Tanypeplus, Leptuas, and Pharomacrus. We cannot believe that 

 any advantage, likely to counterbalance the evils caused by the 

 introduction of so many new terms, will result from this 

 practice. We are well aware that it is all of a piece with what 

 is going on in other branches of natural history ; but it is, in 

 our opinion, not the less objectionable on that account. While 

 commenting thus plainly and openly on what we believe to be 

 the demerits of this work, and trusting that our good friends Dr. 

 Cabanis and Mr. Heine will excuse our free-speaking, we cannot 

 but record our obligations to the authors for the great pains and 

 labour bestowed upon it. The careful diagnoses and lists of 

 synonyms must render it of absolute necessity to all working 

 ornithologists of the present day. 



Herr v. Pelzeln has sent i\^ copies of two ornithological papers 

 * Museum Heineanum : Verzeichniss der ornithologischen Sammlung 

 des Oberamtmanns Ferd. Heine auf Gut St. Burehard vor Halberstadt, mit 

 ki'itischen Anmerkungen mid Besclireibung fast sammtlicher Arten, syste- 

 matisch bearbeitet von Dr. Jean Cabanis und Ferdinand Heine, Stud. Phil. 

 VierterTheil, die Klettervogel enthaltend. Heft.l,Kuckuke und Faulvogel. 

 Halberstadt, 1862-63. 



