4o6 



Recent Literature. [J"'y 



Di". Shufeldt explains the similarities in the skeletons of Swifts and 

 Hummers bj saying that "such similarities are due to physiological adap- 

 tation of structure, referable in the present instance to the peculiar flight 

 of these birds, and the consequent requirements of the muscles involved 

 in it." But what differences are there in the Swifts' flight from that of the 

 Swallows' that should have caused such a remarkable modification towards 

 the Hummingbirds? And are not the Swallows' and the Swifts' flight more 

 similar inter se than that of either one to the Hummers? How is it then 

 that the wings of Swifts and Hummers are more alike, even in the shape of 

 the humerus and its processes? 



Finally we take the libert}' to introduce a scheme of the Picarians which 

 we prepared last year for the bird-volume of the 'Standard Natural History.' 

 The order Picarice is quite polymorphic, but, after all, we do not regard it 

 as so extremely unnatural. Some few forms may have to be eliminated, 

 but until it be shown that these have had an ancestry different from the 

 common stock from which most of them have sprung we consider it as 

 consisting of the following super-families : 



Homalogonatous; desmopchnous ; C;culoidea- ) ^^^^^^ tract furcate between the shoulders. 



Loyacioidece ' 





Csynpehiious \ Colioidcce; leet pamprodactylous ) dorsal tract simple be- 



f X enters j \ Alccdinoidece-; feet aiiisodactylous j tween the shoulders, 



oui I into the -^ schiznpelmous ; Upitpoideo'; dorsal tract furcate between the shoulders. 

 «S niyologi- antiopel.nous; iVr.W^^-; zysodactylous . ] dorsal tract simple be- 



S ^ < cal formula. I heteropelmous ; Trogonoidea; hetorodactylous \^^^^^^ j^e shoulders. 

 " \ A alone consti- \ { pamprodactylous ) { 



' tutes the myolog- | Micropodoidece \ or J J 



I. ical formula. " ) ( anisodactylous ) 



We remark that the Goatsuckers are referred to the super-fiamily Corci- 

 cioidecE, consequently far from the Cypseli and Trochili, which we include 

 in the super-family Micropodoide;e. 



In the mean time, we are always thankful for the contributions of Dr. 

 Shufeldt, and we learn with great satisfaction that it is his intention to take 

 up the Trogons next. But we'must warn against conclusions solely drawn 

 from osteological characters, and in the present order, especially against 

 such ones as are based chiefly in the features of the bony palate. A natu- 

 ral system cannot be based upon one single set of characters ; all will have 

 to be carefully considered, whether they are external or internal, before 

 we can hope to understand the true relationship of the different groups. — 

 L. S. 



Publications Received. — Beckham, C. W. Remarks on the plumage of 

 Regulus calendula. (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. VIII, No. 40, Dec. 1885.) 



Blasius, W. (i) Beitrage zur Kentniss der Vogelfauna von Celebes. I. 

 Vogel von Stid-Celebes. (Zeitsch. fiir die gesam. Orn. 1SS5, Heft. III.) 

 (2) Ueber Vogel-Brustbeine. (Journ. f. Orn. April 18S4.) 



Brewster, W. Bird Migration. (Mem. Nutt. Orn. Club, No. i, 1S86.) 



Butler, A. W. A List of the Birds observed in Franklin Countv, In- 

 diana. (Bull. Brookville Soc. Nat. Hist. No. 2, 1S86.) 



Capen, E. A. Oology of New England : a description of the eggs, 

 nests, and breeding habits of the birds known to breed in New England, 

 with colored illustrations of their eggs. Boston, 1S86, 4to. pp. iii. pi. xv. 



