464 Recently published Ornithological Works. 



divisible into subspecies his plan is to add " typicus " in its 

 proper gender to tlie typical form, and take a third name 

 for the other forms. So, for example, "Acredula caudata 

 typica " would be the proper name for the northern form of 

 the Long-tailed Tit, and Acredula caudata rosea for the 

 British subspecies. Some authors have proposed to repeat the 

 specific name in the first case and to term the typical form 

 Acredula caudata caudata. This would, no doubt, delight 

 the tautonymists, who would thus have the pleasure of calHng 

 the typical Magpie Pica pica pica, and the Blackbird Merula 

 merula merula ! But we must say that we prefer Mr. Har- 

 tert^s plan of adding " typicus "" to the original form, and this 

 mode of dealing with the subject has already been put 

 forward by one of the Editors of 'The Ibis' on a recent 

 occasion^. As regards Mr. Hartert's second crux, where to 

 place the authority in trinomials, we should say that it is 

 best to omit it altogether. In well-known species it is quite 

 unnecessary to add any authority to the generic and specific 

 terms. Every one knows what Acredula caudata and Eri- 

 thacus rubecula mean, and nothing is gained by adding " L/' 

 or '^Linn.^'' after them. It is, of course, quite incorrect, 

 as Mr. Hartert points out, to write Acredula caudata 

 typica (L.), and Sclater, who is among those accused of 

 this nefarious practice, absolutely denies that he has ever 

 done so. If the authority is necessary it must be inserted 

 after the specific name, sic. " Acredula caudata (L.) typica." 

 As regards " family " names we cannot agree with Mr. 

 Hartert that a name can be retained for a family when 

 the generic term from which it has been taken is discarded. 

 If Mr. Hartert gives up Cypselus for Micropus, he must call 

 the family " Micropodidse " instead of " Cypselidse." The 

 orthodox doctrine has always been that the name of the family 

 should be derived from the oldest and best known genus. 



76. Kingsleifs Travels in West Africa. 



[Travels in West Africa, Congo Fran9ais, Corisco, and Cameroous. 

 By Mary H. Kingsley. 8vo. London : Macmillan & Co., 1897.] 



* See P. Z. S. 1896, p. 315. 



