1S90.] Recent Literature. *! C 



labors of Dr. Robert Ridgway, formerly of Mt. Carmel, Illinois, — an orni- 

 thologist whose long and eminent service in the Smithsonian Institution 

 and the United States National Museum seems only to have intensified his 

 interest in the promotion of the study of his favorite science in his native 

 State 



"The long delay in the publication of Volume I has been due partly to 

 the pressure of other duties and to lack of office assistance, but chiefly to 

 the destruction by fire in the printing office in February, 1S89, of an entire 

 edition of the volume and of the plates and cuts from which it was printed. 



"To the characteristic generosity of the honored and lamented Dr- 

 Spencer F. Baird, we owe the illustrations of this volume, with the excep- 

 tion of the frontispiece, — all being printed from copies of cuts loaned to 

 the Laboratory by the Smithsonian Institution." 



In the preface which follows, the author speaks of the conditions under 

 which his task was performed, and of the material on which it is based, 

 making here full acknowledgment for the permission to use the speci- 

 mens contained in the National Museum, and in the private cabinets of 

 various students residing in the State, who have also placed at his dis- 

 posal the results of their observations. 



"On account of the limited time allotted" for the completion of the work 

 (one year) the author has "found it necessary to draw to a certain extent 

 upon previous publication," but we do not observe that he has more than 

 properly availed himself of this privilege, the quoted technical portions 

 being mainly restricted to generic, subgeneric or specific diagnoses from 

 the History of N. A. Birds, and descriptions of first plumages from Mr. 

 Brewster's well-known paper, which in each case are accredited to their 

 source. 



The work now opens with an introduction of 36 pages, which is divided 

 into two parts, concludes with a bibliography, and is a model for future 

 faunal works of this nature. 'Part I, the Physical Features of the State' is 

 subdivided into four sections which under the headings of 'General,' 

 'The Lake Shore District (by E. W. Nelson),' 'The Prairies,' 'The 

 'Southern Bottom Lands,' and 'Climate,' treat of the State from phy- 

 siographical, floral, faunal, and climatal standpoint. 'Part II, Char- 

 acteristic Features of the Avifauna of the State,' presents a series of 

 analytical table which divide the birds recorded from the State as fol- 

 lows : 'A. Species which have been observed in Winter over the greater 

 portion of the State, many of them regular Winter residents,' 91. 

 'B. Species which have been observed in Winter only in the Southern por- 

 tion of the State (latitude of Mount Carmel, or further South)' 63. 

 'C. Species occurring in Winter in the Northern portion of the State, but 

 not yet-observed as far South as Mount Carmel,' 31. 'D. Summer residents 

 of General Distribution,' 14S. 'E. Summer residents confined mainly, so 

 far as known, during that season to the Northern portion of the State,' 

 44. 'F. Summer residents which, so far as known, are confined mainly 

 to the Southern portion of the State,' 13. 'G. Summer visitants to 

 the Southern portion of the Sf? f e. but not ascertained to breed within our 

 limits,' 10. 'H. Irregular or casual visitants from the Western Province,' 



