Vol 'lSs XV ] Recent Literature. 365 



to account for the different races of this bird, which have been claimed for 

 the Atlantic. The taxonomic status, migration, breeding, occurrence in 

 summer near New York, and food are taken up separately and in detail; 

 and the paper is not only a satisfactory review of the species but will be 

 found useful for comparison in work on the less well known forms of 

 petrels. It is illustrated with interesting and attractive photographs from 

 life by the author and Mr. Howard H. Cleaves. — J.T. N. 



Cory's ' Catalogue of Birds of the Americas.' x — The great activity 

 in the study of neotropical birds during the past few years has rendered 

 all of our catalogues out of date, while the most recent one dealing with 

 South American birds, that of Brabourne and Chubb, is disappointing 

 to the general student from the fact that the Central American species 

 are necessarily omitted. A work therefore, such as Mr. Cory has begun, 

 which is both up to date and at the same time covers the entire New World, 

 is particularly welcome at this time. Under each species and subspecies 

 are given the original reference with the type locality and one or more 

 additional references to important papers, including always the first refer- 

 ence to the name as adopted in the list. Then follows a brief statement 

 of the range, and the number of specimens contained in the Field Museum 

 Collection, with the localities which they represent. In the case of species 

 not described in the ' British Museum Catalogue ' or in Ridgway's ' Birds 

 of North and Middle America,' a brief description is given in a footnote. 

 As to the species recognized, the author is guided by the two works above 

 mentioned and by such monographic papers as have appeared subsequently. 

 Recently described forms not considered in such works are admitted pend- 

 ing future judgment. This plan seems to us an admirable one as it is 

 not biased by the views of one individual which in such a work must needs 

 be of very unequal value. 



The classification follows that of Bowdler Sharpe's ' Hand List of Birds ' 

 and the present part covers the families from the Owls to the Humming- 

 birds inclusive. This plan, of beginning the work with ' Part II ' as the 

 author explains, has been adopted with the idea of leaving to the last the 

 families still to be treated by Ridgway in this ' Birds of North and Middle 

 America ' since the immediate treatment of these groups would have neces- 

 sitated a very large number of footnote descriptions which can be avoided 

 when reference to the above work is possible. 



As in most works of this nature the author has found it necessary to 

 propose a certain number of new forms. Of these we note the following: 

 Speotyto cunicularia minor (p. 40); Boa Vista, Amazonia; Aratinga 

 cactorum perpallida (p. 59), Ceara, Brazil; Eupsittula pertinax margaritensis 

 (p. 63), Margarita Island; Amazona amazonica tobagensis (p. 83), Tobago; 



1 A Catalogue of Birds of the Americas. By Charles B. Cory. Part II, No. 1. Field 

 Museum of Natural History, Publication 197. Zoological Series, Vol. XIII. Chicago, 

 >U. S. A., March, 1918. Svo, pp. 1-315. 



