^°Sof ^n Recent Literature. n \ 



tions is the discover}- of species which absolutel}' bridge the previously 

 existing gap between the so-called genera Gcospiza and Cactornis. . . . 

 This matter will be fully discussed and illustrated in a much more detailed 

 paper which will be published as soon as practicable." Of the twenty- 

 two new species here described, three are referred to the genus Nesojnimus, 

 five to the genus Certhidea, seven to Geosfiza, four to Camarhynckus, and 

 three to Pyrocephalus. There are also remarks on " Geospiza assimiUs 

 (Gould?)" and Pyrocefkalus dubius Gould, to which P. fm'fn'mus K\(]gv>. 

 is here referred. 



Mr. Ridgway has also described ' Zosterops aldabrensis from Aldabra 

 Island, Z. niadagascariensis glorioscB from Gloriosa Island, Ci'/uivris 

 aldabrensis from Aldabra Island, C. abbotti from Assumption Island, 

 Centropus insularis from Aldabra and Assumption Islands, and Capri- 

 mulgtis aldabrensis from Aldabra Island. — ^J. A. A. 



Lucas on the Affinities of the Ccerebidae.'* — Mr. Lucas's paper is a 

 collection of fragmentary though valuable notes, illustrated with figures 

 of the palatal region, tongue, pterylosis, and intestines in quite a number 

 of passerine birds, rather than a formal treatise. It opens with some 

 suggestive observations concerning the difficulties that surround the 

 investigator in attempting to elucidate the relationships of various puzzling 

 genera among the Passeres. He says : " Representatives of the Mniotiltidit 

 MeliphagidiE, Drepanidit, Tanagrids, and Fringillidse, have been examined 

 in the hope that the affinities of the Coerebidse might be made apparent ; 

 and I am compelled to confess that, on the whole, the result has been 

 unsatisfactory, and that the examination of a considerable number of 

 specimens has rather lessened my hopes that anatomical, and especially 

 osteological, characters may be relied upon to show relationship among 

 the passeres. Of course," he continues, " one trouble lies in the fact that 

 the so-called families of passeres, at least very many of them, are not 

 families at all, or not the equivalents of the families of other groups of 

 vertebrates. It is my belief that any group of vertebrates to be of family 

 rank should be capable of skeletal diagnosis, and this test applied to the 

 passeres reduces them to a family or two, as has been done by Huxley and 

 Fijrbringer." While this may be true as regards the facts in the case, we 

 cannot quite share Mr. Lucas's belief that among such a compact and 

 numerously represented group as the higher Passeres it is essential to have 

 an osteological basis for ' family' groups. A great deal depends upon the 



' Descriptions of Some New Birds from Aldabra, Assumption, and Gloriosa 

 Islands, collected by Dr. W. L. Abbott. By Robert Ridgway. Ibid., pp. 

 371-373- 



* Notes on the Anatomy and Affinities of the Ccerebidas and other American 

 Birds. By Frederick A. Lucas. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., XVII, 1S94, pp. 

 299-312. 



