^°i897^^] Recent Literature. 4I9 



bj the 'Key to the Species ' (pp. 13-29), and then by formal descriptions, 

 in systematic sequence, of the North American species of Limicolie. 

 Both the 'Key' and the body of the work are profusely illustrated with 

 half-tone and line cuts of heads, feet, tail-markings, etc., with some full- 

 length figures, which, with the key and the descriptive text, must serve 

 to make identification a simple matter. Besides the technical descrip- 

 tions, a brief account is given of the distribution and life history of each 

 species. — J. A. A. 



Chapman's 'Handbook,' 4th Edition.' — The increasing demand for 

 ornithological text-books is shown by the fact that the publishers of this 

 work have issued a fourth edition of this work within two 3'ears of its pub- 

 lication. The present edition differs from the preceding ones through some 

 slight alterations in the text and in the addition of an ' Appendix,' giving a 

 list of the numerous changes in nomenclature, etc., which have occurred 

 since the appearance of the first edition. — J. A. A. 



Hartert on the Podargidse, Caprimulgidae and Macropterygidae. — The 

 first part of the division of 'Das Tierreich ' devoted to Aves is by 

 Mr. Hartert, and includes the three families Podargidoe, Caprimulgidae 

 and Macropterygidae, or the Goatsuckers and Swifts.^ For this work Mr. 

 Hartert is especially fitted, being the monographer, five years ago, of these 

 same groups for the British Museum ' Catalogue of Birds.' •* The consid- 

 erable number of species described since the appearance of the ' Cata- 

 logue,' are here duly interpolated, but there are comparatively few changes 

 in nomenclature. Nanochordeiles is a new generic division for Chordeiles 

 fusillus Gould, while Cosmetornis is suppressed. The family name 

 Cypselidffi gives place to Macropterygidae, and we have Apns in place of 

 Alicropus, and Apodina; in place of Cypselinae, — these changes being 

 adopted from Dr. A. Reichenow, but they are apparently not tenable."* 



The text consists of brief diagnoses of all the groups, from families 

 to subspecies, with analytical tables, and the citation of the synonymy 



' Handbook of Birds of Eastern North America. ... By Frank M. Chap- 

 man. i2mo, pp. xiv-}-43i. Fourth Edition. New York. D. Appleton & 

 Co. 1897. $3.00. 



^ Podargidae, Caprimulgidae und Macropterygidae bearbeitet von Ernst 

 Hartert, Direktor des Zoologischen Museums in Tring (England). Mit 16 

 Abbildungen im Texte. Berlin : Verlag von R. Friedliinder und Sohn. = Das 

 Tierreich. Eine Zusammenstellung und Kennzeichnung der rezenten Tier- 

 formen. Herausgegeben von der Deutschen Zoologischen Gessellschaft. 

 General Redakteur: Franz Eilhard Schulze. — i. Leiferung. Aves. Redakteur : 

 A. Reichenow. — 8vo, pp. viii + 98. (Subscription price, 4.50 marks.) 



3 Cf. Auk, X, 1893, pp. 67, 68. 



■• Cf. Stejneger, Science, N. S., V, No. 126, p. 847, May 28, 1S97. 



