Recently published Ornithological Works, 97 



furnish some additions to the present list^ for Mr. Campbell, 

 the schoolmaster, has promised to keep a look-out for any 

 migrants that may chance to call at these lonely islands. 

 There is evidently a considerable migration over them ; but 

 the St.-Kildan, as might naturally be expected, takes no 

 interest in birds with the exception of those on which he so 

 largely, nay almost solely, depends for a livelihood. 



IX. — Notices of recent Ornithological Publications. 



1. Baird, Brewer, and Ridgway on the Water -Birds of 



North America. 



[Memoirs of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College. 

 Vol. XII. The Water-Birds of North America. By S. F. Baird, T. M, 

 Brewer, and R. Ridgway. Vol. I. 4to. Boston : 1884.] 



Ornithologists will welcome the first instalment of this 

 long-delayed work, and will hope that the final and completing 

 volume may speedily follow"^. The 'Water-Birds of North 

 America ' forms alike the second part of the ' Land-Birds of 

 California/ published by the State Geological Survey of 

 California in 1870, and of the well-known ' History of North 

 American Birds ' of Messrs. Baird, Brewer, and Ridgway, 

 published in 1875. With its numerous illustrations, and 

 excellent print and paper, every one will be pleased. Nor 

 will any one, in our opinion, be less satisfied with the con- 

 tents, although some of the changes from the ordinary nomen- 

 clature, proposed for adoption, look a little awkward at first. 

 Do many of our readers know what Vanellus capella is, or 

 Charadrius apricarius ? 



The present volume contains an account of the Herodiones^ 

 Limicolae, Alectorides, Phoenicopteri, and the first portion of 

 the Anseres, leaving the remaining " Swimmers " for the 

 final volume. It is wisely admitted that this arrangement is 

 ''not natural,'^ but " adopted for the convenience of the 

 student.'" Does it, however, profit a student to learn a con- 

 fessedly unnatural system ? 



. ■. " ■ [* It has since been issued. — Edi*,] 

 SER. V. — VOL. III. H 



