120 Recent Literal inc. [jan" 



elusion of Ceryle we think that Mr. Miller is right and that the three sub- 

 families recognized represent natural phylogenetic groups. 



The latter half of the paper deals with the subdivision of the old genus 

 Ceryle and voluminous data are presented to show the necessity for recog- 

 nizing Megacerylc Kaup for the crested blue-gray species, and Chloroceryle 

 Kaup for the neotropical bronze-green forms, as distinct from the black 

 and white Afro-Indian birds which constitute true Ceryle. Here again Mr. 

 Miller's action appears to be fully justified in so much as these groups are 

 quite as distinct as the other genera of Kingfishers, — certainly more so 

 than some of them, but it is unfortunate that the material was not avail- 

 able for a thorough investigation of the status of the genera in the other 

 two subfamilies some of which we think rest upon very slight characters. 

 Incidentally Mr. Miller calls attention to the necessity, on grounds of 

 priority, of substituting Ciioucalcyon Lesson 1831 for Sauromarptis Cab 

 & Heine, and Laccdo Reichenbach 1S51 for Carcineutes Cab. & Heine. — 

 W. S. 



Reed's ' Birds of Eastern North America.' 1 — This volume of 456 pages 

 is, as we are told in the preface, 'but an extension of, an enlargement upon 

 and a combining of ' the 'Bird Guides for Land and "Wat er Birds ' by the same 

 author. We do not think however that the additions in anyway compen- 

 sate for what has been lost. The ' Bird Guides ' held a place of their own in 

 our ornithological literature as they were truly pocket guides whereas the 

 present book, though just as useful as a work of reference, is no longer a 

 pocket edition being both too large and too heavy. As a reference book 

 too it comes directly into competition with numerous other works of similar 

 scope, in some of which the additional information presented here is treated 

 much more satisfactorily. 



A curious feature is the use of the bird's name in the plural in almost 

 every instance, the significance of which is not clear. 'Parula Warblers' 

 obviously is intended to cover the two eastern races, while 'Cape May 

 Warblers' must refer merely to several individuals of the species, but the 

 statement that 'Bennett's White-tailed Hawks are southern species' leaves 

 us in doubt as to just what idea the author desires to convey. There is but 

 one form of Sennett's White-tailed Hawk and even that is not a species 

 but a subspecies of Buteo cdbicavdatus! The attempt to explain the sig- 

 nificance of binomials and trinomials on page ix moreover is not very happy. 



While the colored pictures which appear on every page and which formed 

 the distinctive feature of the ' Bird Guides' will still aid many students in 

 identifying the birds they see, we trust that the handy smaller edition will 

 not be withdrawn. — W. S. 



■ Birds of Eastern North American. By Chester A. Reed, S, B. "With colored 

 Illustrations of every Species common to the United States and Canada from the 

 Atlantic Coast to the Rockies. Garden City. New York, Doubleday, Page & 

 Company. L912. 



