^°905^''] Reviews. 99 



the title of the Australasian Sub-region in this map, and on page 

 218, by some misunderstanding, the titles are transposed. Again, 

 the omission of the Order Picarice preceding the genus Sywa, and 

 the misplacing the genus Heteromyias among the Shrike-Tits on 

 page 225, have been unfortunate, as also the misprint " Geopsit- 

 tacits," for Neopsittacus, page 269, and the habitat " south" instead 

 of north {or Alcyone pusilla and A. ptilchra, page 263. 



But Col. Legge's work deserves to have a much greater publicity 

 than it is likely to obtain in the somewhat unattractive form of a 

 " reprint," and one hopes that the author may at some future 

 date be able to see his Vv'ay to publish it as an independent 

 contribution to the science of ornithology in Australasia. Purely 

 local observation and study have too often a tendency towards 

 narrowness and lack of system, a tendency against which the 

 thoughtful study of such a work as this acts as the best kind of 

 corrective. 



AMERICAN BIRDS. 



[" The Birds of North and Middle America : a Descriptive Catalogue of the 

 Higher Groups, Genera, Species, and Sub-Species of Birds Known to Occur in North 

 America, from the Arctic Lands to the Isthmus of Panama, the West Indies, and 

 other Islands of the Caribbean Sea, and the Galapagos Achipelago." By Robert 

 Ridgway.] 



This great reference work, which is issued as a " Bulletin of the 

 United States National Museum, No. 50," has reached Part IIL 

 The parts are substantial volumes (octavo size) of over 700 or 

 800 pages each. Part I., issued in igoi, included the Finch 

 Family alone. Part II., issued 1902, included the Families 

 Tanagers, Troupials, Honey-creepers, and Wood- Warblers, while 

 the present Part (III.), issued 1904, comprises Wagtails and 

 Pipits, Swallows, Waxwings, Silky Flycatchers, Palm-Chats, Vireos, 

 Shrikes, Crows, and Jays, Titmice, Nuthatches, Creepers, Wrens, 

 Dippers, Wren-Tits, and Warblers. 



These three volumes contain the descriptions of about 1,250 

 species and sub-species, or about two-fifths of the total number of 

 North and Middle American birds. The completed work is 

 expected to run into eight or ten volumes. This gigantic task 

 has been looming before the author for nearly a quarter of a century, 

 and, so far as can be judged by the present parts, whether as literary 

 or scientific work, it is simply beyond the pale of criticism. Only 

 an ornithological giant could possibly attempt to raise such a 

 monument. Think of the synonyms alone of the work — what a 

 laborious task ! — not to mention drudgery of comi)ilation. 



In view of a systematic list of Australian birds the following may 

 be quoted with advantage from Professor Ridgway's preface : — 



" The question of whether a given form should be considered as 

 a species or a sub-species is very much a matter of material, both 

 from a geographic and a numerical point of view. The greater the 

 number of closely related forms, hitherto regarded as specifically dis- 

 tinct, that are examined — especially when representing intermediate 

 localities — the fewer becomes the number of those which are really 



