■158 Recently published Ornithological Works. 



Dr. Elliott Coues's 'Field Ornithology^* is an admirable 

 manual, teaching the whole duty of an ornithologist in pursuit 

 of his craft. Though the work professes to teach iDCginuers, 

 there are in its pages many suggestions of sound sense from 

 which even practised hands may take some hints. The 

 instructions laid down are excelleut, as a whole ; but at the 

 risk of being called addicted to the use of a " nasty greasy 

 substance," we must say we do not share the author's disbke 

 to arsenical soap. Skins of tropical birds dressed with 

 arsenical soap are certainly more pliant and less liable to 

 crack than those treated with dry arsenic. Both preparations 

 are probably equally efficacious in preventing the subsequent 

 attacks of insects. 



As regards these pests, we must say that our ornitho- 

 logical brethren in America are to be pitied, judging from 

 a whole paragraph (p. lOG) devoted to a description of the 

 ravages committed by Tineidse and Dermestidse {Dermestes 

 and Anthrenus) upon their bird-skins. Taking the destruc- 

 tiveness of insects as his text. Dr. Coues draws, in the final 

 words of this part of his book, an admirable moral. The con- 

 stant study of skins " is the best preventive," he says, "against 

 ' bugs.' " " The very bugs," he adds, " urge on our Avork." 



The second portion of ' Field Ornithology ' contains a 

 check-list of the birds found in North America. 635 species 

 and " varieties " are included in the oruis of North America, 

 amongst which are many of the latter. It may be remarked 

 that in this list the new Transatlantic system of nomenclature 

 is here carried to its full extent. Alas for the binominal 

 system of Linnseus, when we find that the Latin equivalent 

 of the Cahfornian Jay has to be expressed as " Aphelocoma 

 floridana, Bartram, Cabanis, variety californica, Vigors, 

 Coues " ! A retui'n to the nomenclature of the days of Hay 

 would be a relief to this. 



Another work by the same prolific author is an account of 

 the ornithology of the Prybilov Islands f. We believe that 



* Field Ornithology, &c. By Dr. Elliott Coues, U. S. A. Svo, pp. 110 

 & 137. Salem, Mass. : 1874. 



t Ornithology of the Prybilov Islands. By Br. Elliott Coues, U. S. A. 

 Oblong 4to. 1873. 



