yo Recent Literature. ^ n 



some other part of the book for an explanation of often a long series of 

 numerals — a case of mistaken and vexatious economy. The Appendix 

 contains much interesting matter in the way of geographical and technical 

 notes. His Zenaida ricliardsoni (Auk, IV, 1S87, p. 4) he now refers to 

 Z. zenaida (p. 138). He adopts the name Zenaida castanea Wagl. for 

 what has previously passed currently as Z. martinicana, on the ground 

 of the latter name being untenable. 



Mr. Cory recognizes four species of Sparrow Hawks from the West 

 Indies, namely Falco sparverins, from the Bahamas, etc. ; F. dominice?i- 

 sis, from San Domingo and Haiti, probably straggling occasionally to 

 eastern Cuba; F. sparverioides, from Cuba, where it is represented by 

 a light and dark phase; and F. caribbcearum, from Porto Rica and the 

 Lesser Antilles. He thus differs from Mr. Ridgway's conclusion (Auk. 

 1891, p. 113) that sparverioides is a synonym of dominicensis. 



The Burrowing Owls from the Bahamas he considers (p. 140) should 

 all be referred to Speotvto cunicularia fioridana, including his own 5. c. 

 bahatnensis. Lampornis ellioti Cory is now referred to L. virginalis 

 Gould. On the authority of Dr. L. Stejneger (ined. MS. letter, pp. 147, 

 148) the generic name Loxigilla, long in current use for Fringilla noctis 

 Gm. and allies, is supplanted by Pyrrhulagra Bon., the type of Loxigilla 

 being an Australian species to which and its congeners the name prop- 

 erly belongs. Mr. Cory characterizes as new subspecies Pyrrhulagra 

 noctis grenadensis from Grenada and St. Vincent, and P. n. ridgwayi 

 from Dominca and the Lesser Antilles situated to the northward of this 

 island. Mr. Cory has also extended critical notes on Vireo calidris and 

 its allies, on V. crassirostris, and on Ccereba bartolemica, etc. — J. A. A. 



Dixon's 'The Migration of Birds." — Mr. Dixon is well known as a 

 popular writer on British birds, among which he easily takes high rank. 

 In his present work he has attempted a weighty task, which is no less 

 than a serious attempt '"to bring our present knowledge of migration 

 within the limits of order, or to reduce it to law." His book, he tells us, 

 "embodies the result of twelve years of diligent general study and research, 

 and of at least two years' close application and thought, and will, I ear- 

 nestly hope, serve at least the humble purpose of paving the way towards 

 a more important record." "The whole subject of migration is so vast, so 

 wide reaching, and so complicated, that it would be absurd to regard it as 

 exhausted, and the present volume must be looked upon only as a 

 pioneer." 



Mr. Dixon has succeeded in bringing together, in a very readable and 

 suggestive way, an extensive array of general facts bearing upon the 



1 The Migration of Birds | an Attempt | to Reduce Avian Season-Flight to Law | 

 By Charles Dixon | author of 'Rural Bird-Life,' 'Evolution without Natural Selection,' 

 .... [= 5 lines of additional titles of books, and motto of 3 lines.] London: Chap- 

 man and Hall, Ld. | 1892. — 8vo,, pp. xvi-l-300. 



