Recent Ornithological Publications. 325 



capenses, certe non in Africa Meridionali, a Le V. peragratdy 

 inventa, etsi eas auctor, veritatem parum curans, asseverat seip- 

 sum invenissc, adjectd plerumque historiold de vitce ratione, de 

 capturd, et cet." Finally, there are 71 birds which the author 

 himself admits to be of extraneous origin. Among the 284- 

 species, 13 are certainly " aves arte facta " — made-up species, 

 and 9 others, according to Prof. Sundevall, are to be suspected 

 as of like origin . 



4. American Publications. 



In the First Number of ' The Ibis ' we mentioned the anival 

 in this country of copies of an important accession to Zoological 

 literature — the second edition of the ' Mammalogy and Ornitho- 

 logy of the United States Exploring Expedition during the years 

 1838-42, under the command of Charles Wilkes, U.S.N.' The 

 work consists of a quarto volume of 466 pages, accompanied by 

 a folio atlas of plates. The letterpress is from the pen of Mr. 

 John Cassin, of the Academy of Sciences of Philadelphia, a 

 gentleman who, from his excellent knowledge of general ornitho- 

 logy, and his position as one of a learaed body which has in its 

 custody probably the largest and most perfect ornithological col- 

 lection in the world, was above all persons qualified to undertake 

 the task of naming and determining the specimens of the large 

 series of birds* amassed by the Expedition ; and this task, as we 

 think it will be generally acknowledged, he has performed with 

 singular ability and success. The plates, being drawn on steel, 

 have not the lifelike appearance of the productions of some of our 

 recent European artists, but are generally highly creditable to the 

 executor, and sufficiently accurate for the determination of 

 species. 



Having said so much, we hope to be permitted to comment 

 upon one or two points which, as we turn over the leaves of Mr. 

 Cassin's volume, seem to require notice, without rendering our- 

 selves liable to the charge of unduly severe criticism. In the 

 first place, we think something ought to have been said in the 

 preface about the extraordinary circumstances which attended 



* The Appendix gives a list of no less than 74S species, collected during 

 the expedition. Seep.42f). 



VOL. I. Z 



