106 Recent Ornithological Publications. 



who have taken descriptions from the types of the Leyden col- 

 lection is well known to be considerable. Le Vaillant, Temminck, 

 Kuhl, G. Cuvier, Valenciennes, Bonaparte, Boie, S. Miiller, and 

 Hartlaub are those mentioned by Dr. Schlegel, to whom we may 

 add — last, but not least — Dr. Schlegel himself. The Leyden col- 

 lection is likewise remarkable for the number of specimens it 

 contains which have been obtained by the travelling naturahsts 

 employed by the Dutch Government in their Indian possessions 

 and the neighbouring islands, and of which the exact localities 

 (so often wanting in most other collections) have been carefully 

 preserved. These two points greatly increase the value of 

 Dr. Schlegel's work, particularly as regards the additions it is 

 likely to make to our knowledge of the geographical distribu- 

 tion of species. 



Dr. Schlegel commences his catalogue with the genus Buce- 

 ros, and then passes on to the Accipitres, of which he succes- 

 sively handles what he terms the Falcones, Aquilce, Astm-es, 

 Asturina, and Buteones. We cannot be expected to agree en- 

 tirely with Dr. Schlegel in certain well-known points, in which 

 he holds views certainly not in accordance with those of the great 

 body of modern naturalists. With respect to his reduction of 

 representative species into what he now calls " conspecies," with 

 three names to each, we shall only remark that we fear it is 

 impossible in many cases to draw the line between species and 

 conspecies, and that this method only removes the great ques- 

 tion " what is a species ? '' to another spot, instead of solving 

 it. Neither can we be expected to agree with Dr. SchlegeFs 

 somewhat exaggerated extension of generic groups. It may be 

 very true that matters have been pushed to rather an extreme 

 in the opposite direction of late years. But if Serpentarius and 

 Thrasaetus be united to Astur, Gypaetus to Haliaetus, and Po- 

 lyhoroides to Nisus, we shall be compelled to alter our whole 

 system of modern nomenclature, and if uniformity is requisite, 

 to cast, in some cases, hundreds of species into the same 

 genera. W^e cannot accede to so great a retrogression. But 

 these and some other minor points which seem open to criticism, 

 such as Dr. Schlegel's adoption of antiquated pre-Linnean 

 names in some instancesj do not detract from the value of the 



