Vol i'sf Vl J Recent Literature. 1 99 



ago. . . . The publication of the work has therefore been nearly coinci- 

 dent with Dr. Giinther's administration of the Zoological Department of 

 the Museum. It is to him that the general arrangement and supervision 

 of the work is due, although each contributor has been allowed a consider- 

 able latitude in following his own views as to the details of classification 

 and nomenclature. 



" It was at first contemplated that Dr. R. Bowdler Sharpe would under- 

 take the whole work, and the first four volumes were completed by him 

 between the years 1S72 to 1S79. ,It, however, soon became apparent that 

 continually increasing curatorial duties .... required \evy much of his 

 attention, and notwithstanding the energy with which he threw himself 

 into the work, it was manifestly impossible for him single-handed to com- 

 plete the Catalogue within any reasonable time." Consequently the aid 

 of other specialists was invoked to take up certain groups to which they 

 had given special attention, while Dr. Sharpe did not relinquish his 

 labors. " Not only did he materially assist in many of the volumes pro- 

 duced under the names of other authors, but for seven more volumes 

 (making eleven altogether) he is entirely, and for two others he is partly, 

 responsible. Some indication of the amount of his share in the whole 

 work ma}' be gained from the statement that out of 11,548 species de- 

 scribed in the Catalogue, 51S1 are contained in Dr. Sharpe's portion, and 

 6367 in those written by the ten other authors." 



The other authors are the late Mr. Henry Seebohm, who prepared Vol. 

 V, the family Turdidae (1SS1) ; Dr. Hans Gadow, Vol. VIII, the families 

 Paridas and Laniidse, and the Certhiomorphre (iS83),and Vol. IX, the 

 Cinnyriraorphae (1884); Dr. P. L. Sclater, Vol. XI, the families Coere- 

 bidae, Tanagridae, and Icteridae (1S86) , Vol. XIV, the Oligomyodae (188S), 

 Vol. XV, the Tracheophonae (1890), and part of Vol. XIX (Rhamphas- 

 tidas, Galbulidae, and Bucconidae) ; the late Mr. Osbert Salvin, part of 

 Vol. XVI(Upupae andTrochili) and part of Vol. XXV (Tubinares) ; Mr. 

 Ernst Hartert, part of Vol. XVI (families Cjpselidie, Caprimulgida?, 

 Podargid;e, and Steatornithidae) ; the late Edward Hargitt, Vol. XVIII, 

 the Picidae (1890) ; Capt. G. E. Shelley, part of Vol. XIX (Indicatorida?, 

 Capitonida?, Cuculidae, and Musophagid&'j ; Count T. Salvador!, Vol. 

 XX, the Psittaci (1S91), Vol. XXI, the Columbre (1893), and Vol. XXVII, 

 the Chenomorplue, Crypturi, and Ratita.* ; W. R. Ogilvie Grant, Vol. 

 XXII the Gallinae and Allies, and part of Vol. XXVI, the Steganopodes, 

 Pvgopodes, Alcae, and Impennes; Mr. Howard Saunders, part of Vol. 

 XXV, the Gaviae. 



The ' Catalogue' is based upon the immense collection of birds in the 

 British Museum, which has increased from about 35,000 in 1872 to about 

 400,000 at the present time, supplemented by "all other available mate- 

 rial contained in public or private collections, or described in zoological 

 literature. It therefore professes to be a complete list of every bird known 

 at the time of the publication of the volume treating of the group to 

 which it belongs. Under the heading of each species is (1) a copious 

 synonymy: references being given to every mention of it which occurs 



