1S90.J Rece?it Literature. *7 1 



bignus and allies) . He called attention to specimens of the for- 

 mer in which the middle tail-feathers had not been denuded into 

 the usual racket-shaped form, and stated the prevailing theories 

 offered in explanation of the racket-shaped tail-feathers in the 

 Motmots. He also called attention to a peculiar, dark-colored, 

 and otherwise abnormal specimen of the Carolina Rail taken at 

 Erie, Pennsylvania. 



On the afternoon of the third day some time was spent in in- 

 formal session in examination of the Thrushes and Horned Larks 

 sent in by various members for exhibition at the meeting.* 



Resolutions were adopted extending the thanks of the Union to 

 the President and Trustees of the American Museum of Natural 

 History for the use of the Museum building as a place of meet- 

 ing, and for other courtesies ; to the Linnaean Societv of New 

 York for the collation daily provided for the members ; and to 

 Dr. C. Hart Merriam in recognition of his untiring labors as 

 Secretary during the last six years, to which the success of the 

 Union is so largely to be ascribed. 



In point of attendance, and in the number and character of the 

 papers presented, the Seventh Congress proved the most success- 

 ful of the series. 



It was voted to hold the next meeting in Washington, on the 

 third Tuesday of November, 1S90. 



RECENT LITERATURE. 



Waterhouse's 'Index Generum Avium. 'f The character, scope, and 

 purpose of this extremely useful work cannot be better expressed than bv 

 the quotation of a paragraph from its preface by Mr. P. L. Sclater. "It 

 will be observed that, as its title implies, the 'Index Generum Avium,' 

 consists merely of an alphabetical list of about 7000 terms that have been 

 employed or suggested by various authors, since the date of the twelfth 

 edition of Linnseus's 'Systema Natura?,' as generic and subgeneric names 

 for birds, and references to the places and dates of their publication. No 

 attempt has been made to discriminate between these various terms as to 



*See further on this matter a paragraph under 'Notes and News' of this issue of 

 'The Auk.' 



t Index Generum Avium. [ — | A List | of the | Genera and Subgenera of Birds. | 

 By I F. H. Waterhouse, A. L. S., | Librarian to the Zoological Society of London. | 

 — I London : | R. H. Porter, 18 Princes Street, Cavendish Square. | 1889. — 8vo. 3)1,-4— 

 pp. 240. 



