Recently published Ornithological Works. 375 



Reptiles, proceeds to discuss their structure and development 

 from the archaic Archeeopteryx to the present day. Here 

 Mr. Pycraf t is in his element, and gives a clear and sufficient 

 account of the osteology, myology, pterylography, feather- 

 formation, mechanism of flight, moult, colour-change, air- 

 sacs, digestive organs, eggs, and so forth. Excellent wood- 

 cuts aid the reader to follow the explanations in the text. 



Finally, we pass chapter by chapter through the various 

 Orders and Families of Birds, from the lowest to the 

 highest ; but this portion of the book is less successful than 

 the former, scanty details being afl'orded in many cases and 

 much information being omitted that might have easily been 

 included by the addition of a few more pages. Some of the 

 statements, moreover, are misleading, as when we are told 

 that the Great Skua is " well-nigh extinct, so far as these 

 islands are concerned,^' and that the Black Redstart is 

 " tolerably common in Great Britain during the summer 

 months." 



44. Richmond on the Generic Names of Birds. 



[Generic Names applied to Birds during the Years 1901 to 1905 

 inelusive, with further Additions to Waterhouse's ' Index Generuni 

 Avium.' By Charles W. Richmond, Assistant Curator, Division of 

 Birds, U.S. National Museum. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. xxxv. pp. 583-65-5 

 (1908).] 



Mr. F. H. Waterhouse's ^ Index Generum Avium,' con- 

 taining a list of all the generic terms proposed in the Class 

 of Birds from the time of Linnaeus down to 1889, is a work 

 of great value to the ornithologist and well known to ail of 

 us. In 1902 Mr. Richmond published a supplement to 

 Mr. Waterhouse's work * containing 675 additional names. 

 Of these 475 had been instituted as new after the appearance 

 of the ' Index,' while the remainder consisted of terms over- 

 looked by Waterhouse or requiring correction. Mr, Richmond 



* " List of Generic Terms proposed for Birds during the Years 1890 

 to 1900 inclusive, to which are added Names omitted by Waterhouse in 

 his ' Index Generum Avium,' " Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. xxiv, no. 1267 

 (1902). 



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