Vol Xivn Recent Literature. 329 



The first paper ostensibly by Bendire may be that on the nest and eggs 

 of Clark's Crow, in Bull. Nutt. Club, I, 1S76, pp. 44, 45, though this is 

 actually written by Dr. Allen from Bendire's MS. The first formally and 

 actually by him may be that on the Birds of Oregon, in Pr. Bost. Soc. 

 Nat. Hist. XIX, 1877, pp. 109-149. For a note on his introduction to 

 ornithological print see The Osfrey, Apr., 1S97, p. 113. — Elliott 

 CouES, Washington., D. C. 



RECENT LITERATURE. 



Ridgway's Birds of the Galapagos Archipelago.' — The Galapagos 

 Archipelago has come to be classic ground in ornithology. In the 

 present paper of over two hundred pages Mr. Ridgway treats the subject 

 exhaustively, so far as available material and previous work permits. Yet 

 it is evident that the field is as yet far from thoroughly worked. From 

 some of the sixteen islands that compose the group only scant material 

 has been obtained. Says Mr. Ridgway: "Not a single island of the 

 group can be said to have been exhaustively explored, and few of the 

 species are known in all their various phases ; in fact, many are known 

 only from a few specimens in female or immature dress. No observations 

 have been made ' upon the attitude the different species of Geospiza 

 maintain toward one another tending to show how far the differences 

 observable, or thought to be observable, in dried specimens indicate the 

 actual grouping in species of living individuals.' The anomaly of 

 individuals adult as to plumage but with bills suggesting immaturity, 

 and of others which show exactly the reverse, remains to be explained ; 

 and there are other questions which only protracted field-studies by a 

 competent investigator can decide. Until all these present mysteries are 

 solved, theories and generalizations are necessarily futile." 



Regarding the origin of the Galapagoan fauna, Mr. Ridgway considers 

 that the time has not yet arrived when theorizing may be indulged in 

 with any great degree of confidence. He notices briefly the two leading 

 theories respecting the origin of the Galapagos group of islands — 

 namely, the old and formerly generally received conception that they are 



•Birds of the Galapagos Archipelago. By Robert Ridgway, Proc. U. S. 

 National Museum, Vol. XIX, No. 11 16, pp. 459-670, pll. Ivi, Ivii, with 7 cuts 

 and numerous distribution charts in the text. Dated 1S96 ; issued March, 1S97. 



