252 Recent Literature. \_fuW 



In view of the recent introduction of the Starling into this country, the 

 following respecting this bird, which has of late greatly extended its 

 range in the Moray Basin, may be of interest to American readers : " Gen- 

 eral favorite though he be, it is, in our opinion, a question whether his 

 good qualities may not be found wanting in the balance of good and evil, 

 a result following upon the force of his numbers and degree of assertive- 

 ness " (Vol. II, p. 4). 



" A Fauna of the Moray Basin " is a model work of its kind, and a 

 most valuable contribution to Scottish natural history. — J. A. A. 



The ' Birds ' of the Royal Natural History. — Since our previous notice 

 of this work, 1 Parts 21-24 (March i-April 15) have appeared, completing 

 the portion relating to birds, which occupies pp. 2S9-576 of Vol. Ill and 

 the whole of Vol. IV (pp. 1-576). Of Vol. IV there is yet to appear the 

 title page, contents and index, which will be issued with Part 25, otherwise 

 devoted to reptiles. 



Chapter XII, ' The Diurnal Birds of Prey, or Accipitrines, — Order 

 Accipitres,' occupies pp. 174-275 of Vol. IV, the one hundred pages 

 devoted to this group sufficing to give a quite full and satisfactory account 

 of these birds. Chapter XIII (pp. 276-28S), treats of 'The Cormorant 

 Group, — Order Steganopodes.' Chapter XIV (pp. 289-319) gives an 

 account of the ' Herons, Storks, and Ibises, — Order Herodiones ' ; Chapter 

 XV (pp. 320-362) is devoted to the ' Flamingoes, Ducks, and Screamers, — 

 Orders Odontoglossi, Anseres, and Palamedeae ' ; Chapter XVI (pp. 363- 

 392), to 'The Pigeons and Sand-Grouse, — Order Columbre' ; Chapter 

 XVII (pp. 393-450), to 'The Game-Birds and Rails, — Orders Gallime and 

 Fulicarke ' ; Chapter XVIII (pp. 451-469), to the ' Bustards, Thicknees and 

 Cranes, — -Order Alectorides ' ; Chapter XIX (pp. 470-518), to 'The 

 Plovers, Sandpipers Jacanas, and Gulls, — Orders Limicoke and Gaviae'; 

 Chapter XX (pp. 519-550), to ' The Tube-nosed Birds, Diving Birds, and 

 Penguins, — Orders Tubinares, Pygopodes, and Impennes ' ; Chapter XXI 

 (pp. 551-576), to 'The Tinamus, Flightless Birds, etc. — Groups Crypturi, 

 Stereornithes, Ratitse, Odontornithes, Saururie,' concluding the work. 

 Chapter XII is by Dr. R. Bowdler Sharpe and Chapters XVI and XVII 

 are by W. R. Ogilvie Grant ; the authorship of the other chapters here 

 under notice is not as yet disclosed, but is apparently by the editor, Dr. 

 Lydekker. 



The commendation bestowed upon the earlier bird parts of this great 

 work is equally well-merited by these concluding numbers, which give 

 in small compass a vast amount of information on the groups treated. 

 The illustrations are excellent and abundant, although only in small part 

 new, yet none the less appropriate and instructive. The relationships 

 and distinctive characteristics of the higher group are briefly considered, 



1 See Auk, XIII, 1S96, pp. 156-160. 



