238 Recent Literature. \Xw^\ 



information, of the sort desired bj most persons, in the smallest compass. 

 Next comes Torvhee, a minor article, on a part of one page, with an 

 explanation of the word, identification of the bird, a figure of its head from 

 Swainson, remarks on the species of Plpilo, references with the usual 

 small capitals to Finch, Bunting and Catbird (which the cry of some 

 species calls up), and the synonyms of Chewink and Ground-Robin 

 (though we miss 'Joree,' a less known nickname of P. erythrophthalmus). 

 Next comes Trachea, a 2i-page article by Dr. Gadow defining that organ, 

 and noting its main modifications in many different groups of birds, with 

 cross-references to Larynx and Syrinx. Next happens to come Tracheo- 

 p hones ; we give it as a model of curt, formal definition, in a case where 

 the author has nothing further to say : 



"TRACHEOPHONES (by some written TracheophoncB or Tracheo- 

 phoni) Johannes Miiller's name {Abhandl. k. Akad. Berlin, Phys. Kl. 

 1847, p. 367) for the second of his three groups of Passerini, having 

 the trachea furnished with one or two pairs of vocal muscles, and 

 those lateral (c/I Syrinx, p. 940)." 



These examples must suffice. To go through any considerable portion 

 of this 'Dictionary', applauding the author's strong and clear statements 

 of fact, would be futile, after what has been said ; and to pick up for dis- 

 cussion or criticism his expressions of opinion (which he sedulously 

 distinguishes from statements of fact) in cases where they may differ 

 from our own, or be open to revision, would be fatuous; for that would 

 be to write another, and presumably a much inferior, treatise upon the 

 same subjects. Nor have we any intention, in reviewing a work the 

 equal of which for accuracy we have not seen before in any instance of 

 similar magnitude, of pricking pin-holes ; that may be left to literary 

 chiffonniers whose tastes differ from our own, and who have possibly time 

 to waste. We finish this very inadequate sampling of the alphabetical 

 entries by calling attention to the Index with which the work concludes — 

 a valuable feature, which theoretically should be superfluous in a 'Dic- 

 tionary,' but which in this case goes far toward obviating an inconvenience 

 of which some may justly complain — -that resulting from comparative 

 fewness of the entry-words. Thus, for examples : Tubinares is entered, 

 with a 4-line definition, including cross-references to Albatross and 

 Petrel; but the Index gives under Tubinares 32 places where something 

 may be found about the birds which come under that head. Upupa is 

 not entered, as Latin generic names, when not English also, are not within 

 the scope of the work for formal entry; but under Upupa in the Index 

 are 24 references to pages where birds of that genus are treated in the 

 text. 



The most important article in the whole work is the Introduction, now 

 supplied with Part IV, of course to be bound in its proper place, as above 

 indicated. This, with the Index to itself, runs pp. 1-124 (slanting Arabic 

 figures, as if italics, to distinguish this matter from pp. 1-1088 of main 

 text). It is diflicult to characterize this piece of work justly without 



