500 Recently published Ondtholoyical PVorks. 



predecessors over the same ground. We are uot disposed to 

 enter the lists in their defence, as they are fully cajjable of 

 defending themselves ; but it must be borne in mind tliat the 

 materials at the disposal of European ornithologists, at least of 

 many of them, though not perhaps including specimens of single 

 si^ecies by tens and hundreds, still cover more ground and are 

 far more complete than any thing yet amassed in America. 

 Conclusions based on such material are deserving of great 

 consideration ; and, alx)ve all things in questions involving 

 what must for a long time to come be matters of opinion, 

 any thing like dogmatic criticism had best be avoided. 



Besides the previously mentioned paper, Mr. Ridgway has 

 sent us two others upon Accipitres, both published in the 

 Proceedings ' of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Phila- 

 delphia (pp. 78-119, 1875?). The first relates to Accipiler 

 (or, as here called, Nisus) cooperl and A. yundlachi. The 

 latter bird, of which we have never seen specimens, Mr. Ridg- 

 way considers to be a species distinct from the former. ]\Ir. 

 Lawrence^s original description is reproduced and its correct- 

 ness indorsed in the present paper. 



The second of these papers is ^' on the Buteouine subgenus 

 Ci'axirex, Gould." In it the American species of Biiteo arc 

 divided into two subgenera — one being distinguished by 

 having four primaries '^emarginated" on their inner webs, 

 whilst the other has only three. To the former Buteo vul- 

 garis belongs ; to the latter all the South- American Buzzards, 

 except B. abbreviatus, B. mmutus, and B. brachyurus, but in 

 it two northern species also, B. swainsoni and B. pennsyl- 

 vanicus, are included. 



Great stress is laid upon the importance of this character ; 

 but when we consider the similar case of the Harriers {Circus), 

 of certain Humming-birds, of the rectrices of certain Snipes, 

 and other instances which will readily suggest themselves, we 

 cannot but think that this character is, in some of the birds 

 grouped under the name Craxirex, only one of analogy. We 

 cannot think that Buteo vulgaris is more nearly related to 

 B. brachyurus than it is to B. swainsoni ; yet this is what Mr. 

 Ridgway would have us believe. The dillerent plumages in 



