yo Recent Literature. [^ 



essary during the ten years intervening between the preparation of the two 

 editions, and the proper interpolation of the additions in the seven Sup- 

 plements published 1SS9-1S95. Besides this the statements of 'habitat' 

 or ' geographic distribution,' have been carefully revised, a large propor- 

 tion of them having been rewritten, in consequence of recent increase in 

 our knowledge of the subject. An effort has also been made, where 

 practicable, to distinguish the breeding range from the general range. 

 The Check-List is thus once more brought fairly abreast of the present 

 knowledge of the subject. 



The additions during the last ten years number about 36 species and 90 

 subspecies. Out of nearly one thousand specific and snbspecific names in 

 the first edition not more than 25 have been changed ; 8 generic names 

 have been changed, of which 3 were found to be preoccupied, the other 

 generic changes being tine to taxonomic revisions; a few groups ranked 

 in the first edition as subgenera have also since been raised to full generic 

 rank. Thus, all things considered, the nomenclature of the first A. O. U. 

 Check-List has proved as stable as its best friends could have expected. 

 That further additions will be made to the list, as time goes on, is evi- 

 dent, and probably a third edition may be found desirable by the end of 

 the next decade. — 1- A. A. 



Hudson's British Birds.' — It is not to lie supposed that a new volume 

 on British birds implies a corresponding increase in our knowledge con- 

 cerning them. Consequently we look for this book's raison d'etre in the 

 method with which the subject is treated. In matters of detail, it resem- 

 bles more or less closely other manuals of similar scope, but the author's 

 facile pen and the artist's skilful brush seconded by a generous publisher, 

 have resulted in the production of a work which is deserving a most 

 cordial welcome. 



Mi - . Hudson is not bound by tradition. He insists that a book on 

 British birds should lie strictly such, and he rightly rebels against the 

 custom of allotting as much space to a species which lias occurred but 

 once or twice, as to the commonest permanent residents. Of the 376 

 species enumerated by the B. O. U. list he considers that not more than 

 210 can rightly be called British birds. The 160 odd accidental or occa- 

 sional visitants are therefore grouped at the end of their respective 

 families with a brief statement of their true habitat and manner of occur- 

 rence in Great Britain. This very commendable proceeding serves a 



'British Birds | By | W. H. Hudson, ('. M. Z. S. | With a Chapter on 

 Structure and Classification | By Frank E. Beddard, F. K. S. | With 8 Col- 

 oured Plates from < higinal Drawings by A. Thorburn | and 8 Plates and 100 

 Figures in black and white from Original Drawings by (',. E. Lodge | and 3 

 Illustrations from Photographs from Nature by R. B. Lodge | London | 

 Longmans, Green, and Co. I and New York | 1895 | All rights reserved | Sm. 

 8vo, pp. xxii +363. £3.50. 



