46 



THE OSPREY. 



Literature. 



A Manual of the Vertebrate Animals of 

 the Northern United States including the 

 district north and east of the Ozark Mountains, 

 south of the Laurentian Hills, north of the 

 southern boundary of Virginia, and east of 

 the Missouri River, inclusive of marine species. 

 By David Starr Jordan, President of Leland 

 Stanford Junior University. Eighth Edition. 

 Newly Revised and Enlarged. Chicago. A. C. 

 McClurg & Co. 1899. [16mo., title leaf - - i-vi 

 ;-5—379 pp.] 

 Although late in the day for review, the last 

 edition of President Jordan's Manual has only 

 recently come to hand and some features deserve 

 notice. It is the only complete and reliable sum- 

 mary of the vertebrates of the region indicated 

 that has yet appeared. Its popularity and use- 

 fulness may be measured to some degree at 

 least by the number of editions — eight that 

 have already appeared. Each one has been 

 more or less fully brought up to date. 



In the words of the author, "the present edition 

 i- printed from the same plates as the fifth edi- 

 tion, published in 1890. The decade which closes 

 the century has seen greater activity in the 

 study of species of animals and their relation 

 to their environment than has been known in 

 any other corresponding period in the world's 

 history. Such study lias given much greater 

 precision to our knowledge of the characters 

 and the distribution of species, with the minor 

 results of the recognition of synonyms, and the 

 correction of nomenclature by its establishment 

 on the solid basis of priority. 



"Most of the recent changes in the scientific 

 names of animals are due to the use of the ear- 

 liest name given to the species, instead of some 

 later one applied through error of one sort or 

 another. The changes required have been made 

 on the old plates." 



In the great group or subkingdom of verte- 

 brates, otherwise "Chorda fa," nine classes have 

 been adopted, but the first two of these— Tuni- 

 cata and Enteropneusta "are excluded from the 

 plan of the present work." The remaining or 

 true vertebrates are distributed among four 

 "provinces" or superclasses and seven classes. 

 "The relations of these provinces and classes are 

 shown in the following' analysis taken, in part, 

 from Dr. Gill's 'Arrangement of the Families 

 of Fishes.' Only the more obvious characters 

 are here mentioned." 



The class of "Avis (The Birds)" is revised to 

 follow the generally accepted nomenclature of 

 the American Ornithologists' Union. The 711 

 species and 21s g-enera are diagnosed in 102 

 pages (212 to 313) and distinctively enough as a 

 rub to enable the student having the necessary 

 skill and judgment to determine any bird of 

 typical adult character by means of the tables 

 and definitions. 



In an "Appendix of Birds" peculiar to the pre- 

 sent edition (p. 362) dissent in one respect is 

 expressed from the code adopted in the body of 

 the work for the nomenclature of tin species. 

 Dr. Jordan there remark-: "By the agreement 

 of the American Ornithologists' Uniona small 



number of names of genera are set aside because 

 they are nearly but not qttited identical with 

 other names of earlier date. This I have fol- 

 lowed under protest. The only practicable rule 

 in such cases in my judgment is to regard any 

 two words as different unless actually spelled 

 alike regardless of the questions of etymolog) . 

 In my judgment the following earlier names 

 should be restored: 



"458. Eremophila Boie. instead of Otocoris, p. 

 27o. 



"511. Helminth'ophaga Cabanis, instead of 

 Helminthophila, p. 298. 



"512. Parula Bonaparte, instead of CompSO- 

 thlypis, p. 2oo". 



There is now a difference of opinion between 

 ornithologists with respect to the rule in ques- 

 tion, but there is. at least, a tendency among 

 them to accept the rule formulated by Jordan. 

 The present reviewer decidedly agrees with him. 

 but assent is to be regarded as an individual, 

 and not an editorial expression of opinion. 



We need only add that the volume is without 

 illustration-, and is neatly and strongly bound. 



NATURE'S CALENDAR. By Ernest Ing-ersoll. 

 A Guide and Record for ( (utdoor Observation in 

 Natural History. With twelve illustrations from 

 original photographs by Clarance Lown. New 

 York and London: Harper .V Brothers Pub- 

 lisher-. MCM. [12mo. xii, pp - - 11 27n pp. 

 12 pi. fl.SO.] 



As to the aim and purpose of this volume, we 

 may let the author speak for himself. 



"Observation i- at the basis of all scientific 

 work, and is itself both a Science and an Art, 

 although, after all, it is nothing more mysteri- 

 ous than the faculty of keeping open at the 

 same time both the eyes and the mind. 



"This little book doe- not pretend to teach it — 

 perhaps no book can do that. It does attempt. 

 however, to save your valuable hours and fleet- 

 ing opportunities by reminding you from time 

 to time throughout tin- circle of the year what is 

 doing then in the living world, by giving you 

 a memorandum of some things for which you 

 ought at that moment to be on the lookout, lest 

 their brief period pass before you learn or re- 

 member that this is their appointed season. In 

 this respect it i- a guide to study out ol doors 

 a calendar of Nature'- annual cycle of birth, 

 career, death, and progeny — seed, blossom, fruit- 

 age, 



"Tlie date- given refer to an ordinary season 

 in the region about New York City. It was 

 necessary to take some one district for the sake 

 of relative uniformfty, but the limit has not 

 been strictly drawn, and the book will lie found 

 useful throughout the eastern half of the United 

 State- and Canada at least, since an observer 

 anywhere may act upon its suggestions, quickly 

 learning how to make local allowance- for his 

 own circumstances of latitude and climate. In 

 doing so be will begin to understand the idea- 

 sure of his work, and will call it play." 



The bird- are brought into special prominence 

 and the time of occurence, arrival, departure 



