V °899 YI ] Recent Literature. 297 



Genera and Subgenera of the A. O. U. Check-List. — In the case of 

 such purely conventional groups as genera and subgenera, utility is 

 clearly their chief raison d'etre, and this may be judged largely by the 

 concensus of usage. In 1SS4, when the A. O. U. Committee prepared its 

 Check-List of North American Birds, the feeling was more or less general 

 among American ornithologists that there were too many genera current, 

 and that the proper relationships of certain groups treated as genera 

 were better expressed by reducing such groups to subgenera. This was 

 evidently the feeling of the Committee, and on the conclusion of its work 

 this feature of it was doubtless viewed with considerable satisfaction by 

 all its members. As time passed on, however, the increasing tendency 

 to differentiate subspecies on slight provocation naturally increased the 

 relative value of the subgeneric groups. At the same time it became 

 evident that the opinion of the Committee on genera and subgenera did 

 not meet with the approval of ornithologists at large, and certain 

 members of the Committee began to feel that the reduction of many 

 ' genera ' to the rank of ' subgenera ' was illadvised. In 1892, this feeling 

 was strong enough to lead to action, when all of the subgenera of 

 Trockilus were given full generic rank, as was also Ardetta among the 

 Herons. In 1S96, a few other subgenera were similarly treated, while in 

 1S98, no less than twelve subgenera were raised to the rank of full genera ! 

 Probably others would have received similar treatment had their status 

 been formally challenged in such a way as to bring them up for action. 



The matter has been recently considered by Dr. Coues, in ' The Osprey ' 

 for May, 1899,' where he claims that, in his judgment, "a large number 

 of the subgenera now standing in the Check-List, require to be restored 

 or advanced to full generic rank, and some additional subgenera need to 

 be recognized." He gives a list of some 21 subgenera he believes 

 should stand as genera, and some dozen subgenera are suggested as 

 additions to the Check-List. Two new subgenera are proposed, namely 

 Pallasicarbo, for Phalacrocorax perspicillatus, and Psiloscops, type 

 Scops flammeola Kaup. Doubtless Dr. Coues's opinion on the subject 

 of genera and subgenera, as here set forth, is shared by other members of 

 the Committee. — J. A. A. 



Publications Received. — Bangs, Outram. (1) A New Rail from 

 southern California. (Proc. New Engl. Zool. Club, 1899, pp. 45,46). (2) 

 The Labrador Spruce Grouse. {Ibid., pp. 47, 48.) 



Beal, F. E. L. Economic Relations of Birds and their Food. (Proc. 

 24th Ann. Meet. New Jersey State Ilort. Soc, 1899.) 



Brewster, William. An Undescribed Clapper Rail from Georgia and 

 East Florida. (Proc. New Engl. Zool. Club, I, 1899, pp. 39-51.) 



1 On Certain Generic and Subgeneric Names in the A. O. U. Check-List. 

 The Osprey, III, May, 1899, p. 144. 



