Recently published Ornithological Works. 125 



While oflFering these small criticisms upon our friend^s 

 labours^ we may also express a hope that he will not adopt 

 the numerous minor subdivisions of Nectariniidae that have 

 lately come into fashion^ founded, not on structural form, 

 but simply on styles of colour. There is no sort of advan- 

 tage to science gained by the employment of such terms gene- 

 rically. Even our author's Urodrepanis (gen. nov.), founded 

 upon the jEthopijga christin(B of Formosa, as having the " two 

 centre tail-feathers abruptly narrowing into very fine points/' 

 seems to us rather unnecessary ! It would likewise be a much 

 more comfortable plan if the plates and descriptions of the 

 same species were issued together in the same part. To effect 

 this might give some little trouble to the author, as we are 

 aware ; but it would be a great convenience to the subscribers. 



The ' Monograph of the Sun-birds ' will be completed, as 

 we learn from the prospectus, in twelve Parts, " which will 

 be published as rapidly as possible consistently with a proper 

 execution of the plates." We cordially wish our author suc- 

 cess, and trust that all our friends and readers who have the 

 opportunity will not fail to assist him with specimens and 

 intelligence. 



10, Boucard's ' Catalogus Avium.' 



[Catalogus Avium hucusque descriptarum. Auctor Adolphus Boucard. 

 London : 1878. 8vo, pp. 350.] 



This is a list of the names of the species of birds, with a 

 slight indication of their j9a/fn«, beginning at the Struthiones 

 and, ending with the Trochili. Mr. Boucard recognizes 1 1,030 

 species, divided into 2456 genera. 



Mr. Boucard has compiled his catalogue from Gray's '^Hand- 

 list,' Sclater and Salvin's ' Nomenclator Avium Neotropica- 

 lium,' and Shai'pe's ^Catalogue' (vols. i. & ii.), and has pro- 

 duced a handy volume which will certainly not be without 

 use to ornithologists. He has a more ambitious project in 

 view — that is, a ' Genera of Birds,' of which the present work 

 is merely a forerunner. The classification adopted is nearly 

 that of the ' Nomenclator Avium Neotropicalium ' reversed. 

 There are a good many misprints ; and the names of the new 



