iSSs-J Recent Literature. 365 



RECENT LITERATURE. 



Sharpe's Catalogue of the Birds in the British Museum — Volume X.* 

 — Ornithologists are under obligations to Mr. Sharpe for another exceed- 

 ingly welcome volume of a pre-eminently useful series. Volume X con- 

 siderably exceeds in size any of its predecessors, it containing nearly goo 

 pages, and twelve colored plates. It treats of the following five families 

 of nine-primaried Oscines : the Flower-peckers (Dicaeida;), the Swallows 

 (Hirundinidae), the Waxwings and their allies (Ampelidae), the Amer- 

 ican Warblers (Mniotiltidns), and the Wagtails (Motacillidae). "In the 

 present volume 448 species are described, represented by 4590 specimens.'' 

 Only 52 of the species are still desiderata to the collection of the British 

 Museum, while 88 are represented by the original types. In addition to the 

 material in the British Museum, Mr. Sharpe has had the assistance of val- 

 uable collections kindly loaned him by various eminent ornithologists for 

 use in the preparation of the present monographs. The British Museum 

 " series of Neotropical birds has been rendered wonderfully complete by the 

 addition of the collections of Dr. Sclater and Messrs. Salvin and Godman" ; 

 and acknowledgment is also made of numerous North American birds 

 received from the United States National Museum. Mr. Sharpe's facilities 

 for the preparation of his various monographs are enviably complete, 

 and without doubt elsewhere unequalled. 



The Dicneidae, numbering 19 genera and 95 species of a strictly Old 

 World group, occupy the first 84 pages, and are illustrated by two beautiful 

 plates. To the Hirundinidae. with n genera and 83 species {plus 18 sub- 

 species), are allotted 125 pages, and a single plate. The great familv 

 Mniotiltidae, of such special interest to American ornithological collectors, 

 occupies nearly 250 pages, numbers 21 genera and 127 species, besides 

 numerous subspecies. Of the species 36 fall under Dendroeca, 32 under 

 Basileuterus, and 15 under Setop/iaga. Of the 64 species of Motacillidae, 

 33 are ranged under Antkus, and 23 under Motacilla. 



In respect to subspecies, we regret to see that Mr. Sharpe has reverted 

 to his former practice of designating them simply by binominal appel- 

 lations, with usually no further comment on their status than is implied 

 by the prefix 'Subsp.,' followed by a Greek letter. 



We also regret to see our author so firmly opposed to "radical changes 

 in nomenclature" as to prefer to '-follow custom" in cases where he is 

 convinced that the 'radical changes' are in accordance with strict nomen- 

 clatural rules, through fear that the "change is too great and the risk of 

 confusion too assured" (p. 85) for him to venture in the footsteps of the 

 rash reformers who persist in pointing out the narrow way which leads 



* Catalogue of the Birds in the British Museum, Volume X. Catalogue of the Pas- 

 seriformes, or Perching Birds, in the collection of the British Museum. — Fringilliformcs : 

 Part I. Containing the Families Dicaeidae, Hirundinidae, Ampelidae, Mniotiltidae, and 

 Motacillidae. By R. Bowdler Sharpe. London : Printed by order of the Trustees, 1885. 

 8vo, pp. xiii + 682, pll. xii. 



