266 Receni Liferatnre. [April 



of the size and the color of their eyes. Tlie author enumerates 649 'species' 

 (or rather 64S, as No. 475 goes out as synomymous with No 4S2) , the names 

 of which are given in Latin and German ( often with one or two syno- 

 nyms appended). In every instance the size of the eye is given in 

 millimeters, separate for J and $, if different, followed by a careful state- 

 ment of the color of the iris and how it varies according to sex and age. 

 About sixty per cent of the statements are based upon the author's own 

 examinations, while for the rest the colors given are taken from the best 

 available soui-ces, and the size estimated, in which case the figures are in- 

 cluded in brackets. Anybody who has noticed how our taxidermists 

 generally select eyes at hap-hazard when mounting birds, and how many 

 an otherwise nicely stuffed bird has become an atrocious caricature by 

 the disproportionate size of the eyes, cannot fail to see that this book 

 must be of great service to taxidermists, especially to those of Europe ; but 

 until a similar ^vork on American birds be published, it will also be valu- 

 able to the taxidermists of this country, for out of a total number of 650 

 species, Mr. Meves has measured about 150 forms which are absolutely 

 identical or nearly so with birds holding a place in North American 

 ornithological lists. We are happy to say, ho^^•ever, that a similar work is 

 already in preparation for North American birds, giving not only the colors 

 of the irides, but also including measurements of the eyes. Meves's book 

 will at the same time, serve as a handy 'check list' of European (western 

 palsearctic) birds, although the nomenclature is sadly 'eclectic,' arbitrary 

 rejections of old names, because "regelwidrig." as the German orni- 

 thologists are pleased to say, being very frequent, and so also the 

 retention of a number of preoccupied names; in some cases the latest 

 innovations have been adopted, while in others the author is "con- 

 servative where, according to Mr. Secbohm^ he ought to be conserva- 

 tive." His splitting of genera seems equally inconsistent (the genus 

 Picits is entirely lost, after the fashion of Sundevall, while Hiriindo is re- 

 tained). In some instances already' corrected mistakes are perpetuated 

 (as Pcccila kamtschatken&is Bonap.^Sibirische Suinpfmeise, p. 10), while 

 on the other hand more recent additions to the European Fauna have 

 been overlooked, as, for instance, Sitta -vhitcheadi Sliarpe. We note, 

 that like Sundevall, he follows Linnaei loth edition (175S), but rejects 

 trinomials. — L, S. 



'Water Birds of North America' — 'A Few Corrections' Rectified. — Dr. 

 J. G. Cooper's long list of so-called 'corrections' to the 'Water-Birds of 

 North America,' in the January number of the 'The Auk,' calls for com- 

 ment from me in only a few cases, I having exercised no right of revision 

 or supervision whatever over Dr. Brewer's portion of the work. The 

 particular cases with which I am concerned are the following: — 



Mareca americana. — Dr. Cooper says that this species "has not been 

 found breeding in the United States." If he will turn to page 622 of my 

 'Zoology of the 40th Parallel,' he will see that on June 11, 1869, 1 collected a 

 nest with to eggs of this species on Rabbit Island, in the Great Salt Lake. 



