G52 Recoitly published Ornithological JVorkf;. 



The present volume contains the descriptions of 28 

 Cuckoos, 78 Parrots, and 91 Pigeons, the greater number 

 of which belong to the neotropical section of the avifauna 

 treated of. The United States can hardly claim more 

 than three Cuckoos, one Parrot, and three or four Pigeons, 

 and of these one of the Pigeons is extinct and the Parrot 

 probably so. 



Mr. Ridgway recognizes two forms of the Carolina Paro- 

 quet : Comiropsis carolinensis carolinensis, which formerly 

 inhabited the coastal plain of the United States from 

 Florida to Virginia, occasionally ranging even to New York 

 State, and C. c. ludovicianus, formerly inhabiting the Missis- 

 sippi valley from the Gulf Coast to the southern shores of 

 the great lakes. Of the former Mr. Ridgway writes that it 

 is " so nearly extinct that only a few colonies may yet exist 

 in remote parts of southern Florida " ; and of the latter that 

 " if still existing, to be found only in small numbers in 

 south-westevn Arkansas or north-western Louisiana." The 

 last dated record given for the former is 1901, for the latter 

 1891. 



We fear that the Carolina Paroquet will shortly share the 

 fate of the Passenger Pigeon and the Labrador Duck. 



INIr. Ridgway has somewhat modified the general scheme 

 of classification as proposed in the first part of this work, 

 where the '' Order Culiciformes included the Parrots as well 

 as the Cuckoo-like birds (Cuculidte and Musophagidae), this 

 being in accordance with the views of Gadow and Garrod. 

 The Parrots are, however, so distinct and sharply circum- 

 scribed as a group that it seems better to consider them as a 

 separate order." In the same way the Columbiformes, 

 which in the earlier scheme were merged with the Cliaradrii- 

 formes, are here separated into two distinct orders. These 

 changes certainly seem justified in accordance with the 

 views of modern ornithologists. 



On the series of twenty-four plates there are outline- 

 drawings of wings, tails, beaks, and feet to illustrate the 

 structural characters, and these will be found most useful 

 aids in the identification of the various genera. 



