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noticing a popular work, and would not have been raised in a review for 

 anv other periodical than our own and onlv ' Auk." Consideration of 

 technicalities takes us to Mr. Elliot's appendix, which gives keys to the 

 families, genera, and species — -short cuts to much learning, without 

 which no bird-book now seems to be furnished with all appropriate 

 belongings. These are excellent in the main, presenting the reader with 

 successive alternatives, of which he has only to choose the one to which 

 his specimen conforms to be led speedily and happily to its identification. 

 The keyed appendix also gives formal generic diagnoses, references to 

 authorities for the names used, and explication of etymologies, in this 

 part of his work the distinguished author invites criticism which must be 

 adverse in some few particulars, as in the statement that Hefcractitis is a 

 word " signifying an inhabitant of 'different shores.'" This word is a 

 mere substitute for the prior but preoccupied Heteroscelus of Baird, and 

 the difference implied in its construction is not one of 'shores,' but of 

 certain shore-birds, to wit, those of the genus Act/'tis. It is also unfor- 

 tunate that typographical errors, which crop up in the main text, cluster 

 obtrusively in the appendix. We happen to know that this is not the 

 author's fault, and can see how he wrestled with the printers — not in 

 prayer, but with the reverse of devotional emotions, akin to those which 

 marked the printers' own struggles with unwonted copy. But aside from 

 this, the manufacture of the volume is perfect, reflecting great credit upon 

 the enterprising publisher, who is rapidly making his reputation for tine 

 book-work. The regular edition is handsome in all its appointments; the 

 limited autograph edition is sumptuous. 



Edwin Sheppard is a familiar name in connection with illustrated orni- 

 thological literature, and the author of ' Shore Birds ' is fortunate in his 

 artist. His tine work began early in the Bairdian period, and the present 

 plates show that his hand has lost none of its cunning with rolling years. 

 Mr. Sheppard's forte seems to be small, telling pictures which hit off 

 likenesses of birds remarkably well for their size without the aid of other 

 coloring than black upon white. They are \ei\ smooth and pleasing to 

 the eye, ami maintain their excellence evenly — none are bad, though 

 some are more pleasing, and some more effective, than the rest. One of 

 the most artistic pictures is that of the Stilt, whose colors suit the mode 

 of printing well, and whose altitude is striking; the group of downy 

 Kildeers is another which specially attracts the eye. Mr. Sheppard has a 

 keen eve for points about a bird, and a sure touch is bringing them out; 

 he understands structure, and consequently poses birds in natural atti- 

 tudes. This is fortunate; for he had need of all his craft in attempting to 

 delineate the difference between species of such genera, for example, as 

 Tringa and Totanus, in which a trained ornithologist often has to look 

 more than once to make a diagnosis. Our general criticism of Mr. 

 Sheppard's work has for many years been, his tendency to needless acces- 

 sories and too much background; but that may be our individual fancy 

 for pictures of birds on plain white paper— not in quarter-sections of 



