126 Recent Ornithological Publications. 



not state that he has compared any series of examples from the 

 two continents*. 



Mr. Lord's two volumes f contain a good deal that is inter- 

 esting respecting the habits of many of the birds of Western 

 North America^ which have hitherto been merely known to us 

 as names and nothing else ; at the same time it is clear that 

 the author's sympathies are rather with the furry and finny than 

 the feathered portion of creation, and the last consequently 

 comes off second or even third best. Mr. Lord has small rea- 

 son to be grateful to his printer or wood-cutter ; but his book 

 will, we think, please many of our readers, as it has pleased our- 

 selves. \\\ the list of species observed by him, which were u])- 

 wards of 220 in number, perhaps Aphriza virgata is the most 

 worthy of note. He greatly doubts the supposed provident 

 habits of Melanerpes formicivorus which have been mentioned 

 by former writers ; but his observations on the point are not alto- 

 gether satisfactory. 



2. French. 

 The * Memoires de la Societe Lnperiale des Sciences Natu- 

 relles de Cherbourg ' for last year contain an essay on tbe clas- 

 sification of the Trochilida by Prof. Mulsant, with the assistance 

 of MM. Jules and Edouard Verreaux. This paper, which has for 

 its object to supply the want of an analytical arrangement of this 

 numerous and difficult family, and to assign generic characters 



* We take this opportunity of sayinj:^, while remarking on the game- 

 birds and wild fowl of North America (and the more so since an inquiry 

 has been addressed to us on the subject by a correspondent in India), that 

 the " Booming Swallow " mentioned by Lord Milton and Dr. Cheadle in 

 their entertaining ' North-West Passage by Land,' is probably OalUnago 

 wilsoni, or at least some Scolopacine species. The rapid and erratic flight 

 of a cock Sni[)e in the breeding-season might naturally be ascribed by un- 

 ornithological observers to a Swallow ; and the drumming sound produced, 

 as well, we believe, by the American as by the European species, might 

 well give rise to the epithet by which these adventurous travellers di- 

 stinguished it. 



t The Naturalist in Vancouver Island and British Columbia. By John 

 Keast Lord, F.Z.S., Naturalist to the British North American Boundary 

 Commission. London : 1S66. 2 vols, small Svo. 



