152 Recent Literature. [j" n 



"TirnaliidaV and for which the name Muscicapidae is adopted. This 

 will seem like lumping with a vengeance to most of our readers but let them 

 try to define Thrushes and Flycatchers, when the species of the World are 

 concerned or to separate the Warblers from the Timaliidae, or the latter 

 from the Thrushes, and they may come to agree with the plan that Mr. 

 Witherby and his associates have adopted. The other alternative would 

 be to propose a lot of small families composed of the species that will not 

 fit into the several groups above mentioned as strictly defined — a course 

 which seems to us much more objectionable than combining them under 

 one head. Nevertheless as the possibilities for increasing the number of 

 genera which now seems to be such a fascinating pastime, begin to wane, 

 we may expect activities in the discovery of new families! Two plates of 

 Warblers, a name which still has a meaning even if the species are included 

 in an all-embracing "Muscicapkke," one colored and one uncolored, 

 illustrate this part. American bird students will of course understand 

 that in the above remarks "Warblers" and "Flycatchers" refer to the old 

 world groups so called, not to the entirely different families to which these 

 names are applied here. The Kinglets and Gnatcatcher which we have 

 usually regarded as belonging with — or close to — the Old World Warblers, 

 are placed with the Titmice in Mr. Witherby's work. 



The authors have now covered one fourth of the British species and we 

 wish them all speed in completing their task. — W. S. 



A Geographical Bibliography of British Ornithology. 1 — The present 

 work is a continuation of Mullens and Swann's ' Bibliography of British 

 Ornithology ' already noticed in these columns (Auk, 1916, p. 443, 1917, 

 p. 227 and 1918, p. 98). That work has been styled the " biographical 

 volume " since it consisted of biographical sketches of the authors with 

 lists of their publications. The present undertaking on the other hand, is 

 geographic, the titles of the articles being arranged chronologically under 

 the various counties to which they refer, beginning with such as relate to 

 the British Isles as a whole. 



American ornithologists will be interested in the statement made in the 

 advertising circular to the effect that ' ' hitherto the only work dealing solely 

 with the subject has been Elliott Coues' Ornithological Bibliography 

 (Fourth Instalment) : being a list of Faunal Publications relating to British 

 Birds, Washington, 1880," and those who are not already acquainted with 

 it will enjoy reading the memorial addressed to Dr. Coues by the leading 

 zoologists of England upon the completion of the first instalment of his 



1 A Geographical Bibliography of British Ornithology from the Earliest Times to the 

 End of 1918. Arranged under Counties. Being a Becord of Printed Books, Published 

 Articles, Notes, and Becords Belating to Local Avifauna. By W. H. Mullens, M. A., 

 LL. M., F. L. S., M. B. O. U., H. Kirke Swann, F. Z. S., and Bev. F. B. C. Jourdain, M. A., 

 M. B. O. U. Witherby & Co., 326 High Holborn, London. 1919. 8vo. Part I, pp. 1-96. 

 To be Completed in Six Bi-monthly Parts. Price 6 Shillings net per part. 



