1920 J Recent Literature. 607 



hands of the trained observer, but disastrous in those of the "enthusiastic 

 amateur." All these and other factors are mentioned and their influence 

 upon bird life and bird study discussed. A half-tone plate of the Ipswich 

 River in Wenham Swamp forms the frontispiece to the volume and the 

 map of the county which appeared in the original list is here reproduced 

 for handy reference. 



In the whole plan of the work and its execution the author has been 

 peculiarly happy and both he and the Nuttall Club deserve the congratu- 

 lations of ornithologists upon the appearance of the volume. — W. S. 



Bannerman's 'Birds of the Canary Islands.' 1 — In 'The Ibis' for 1919 

 and 1920 Mr. David A. Bannerman has been publishing in instalments a 

 comprehensive paper on the birds of the Canaries. The seven parts 

 have now been issued as a separate comprising 300 pages whcih easily 

 takes its place as the authoritative work on the subject. 



It is based primarily upon the author's field work in the islands, he 

 having spent a portion of every year from 1908 to 1913 in the archipelago 

 but other material has been examined and all of the literature bearing 

 upon the Canary Islands carefully studied. The list includes transient 

 species as well as residents and is prepared on a definite plan consistently 

 carried out, which materially aids anyone who may make use of it. The 

 nomenclature is carefully worked out with a reference to the original 

 description of each species, and the type locality. Then follow a concise 

 statement of the nature of its occurrence in the Canary Islands; a full 

 discussion of specimens and relationship, with pertinent quotations from 

 various works on the birds of the Islands and from the author's personal 

 records, all of which go to make up a very full account of the habits and 

 distribution of each species, and finally the range is given, which in the 

 case of resident species is divided into two paragraphs, one giving the 

 range in the islands, and the other the range beyond the archipelago, if 

 the species is not endemic. 



In the introductory pages there is a bibliography and an itinerary of 

 those visitors who have done the most important ornithological work on 

 the islands. There is likewise a statement by the author of his methods, 

 including an apology for rejecting the "nomina conservanda" of the 

 B. O. U. 'List.' In our opinion however he is to be heartily congratulated 

 upon his stand in this matter. Uniformity and stability in nomenclature 

 can only be obtained by strict adherence to the rules of the International 

 Code no matter where they lead us. 



The summary and conclusions which constitute the last part of Mr. 

 Bannerman's paper give the author's views on many of the general prob- 



1 List of the Birds of the Canary Islands with Detailed Reference to the Migra- 

 tory Species and the Accidental Visitors. Parts I to VII. By David A. Banner- 

 man. From 'The Ibis', 1919, pp. 84-131; 291-321; 457-495; 708-764; 1920, 97- 

 132; 323-360; 519-569. 



