Recently published Ornithological Works. 123 



of. But we fear that the account given of their history is 

 not very satisfactory. 



32. TVaterhouse's 'Index Generum Avium.' 



[Index Generum Avium. A List of the Genera and Subgenera of 

 Birds. By R H. Waterhouse, A.L.S., Librarian to the Zoological Society 

 of London. London : R. H. Porter, 1889.] 



As is stated in the preface to this work, the 'Index 

 Generum Avium ' consists 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 Linnreus's 

 ' Systema Naturae/ as generic and subgeneric names for birds, 

 and of references to the places and dates of their publication. 

 No attempt has been made to discriminate between these 

 various terms as to which of them should be most correctly 

 employed. Such points are left for the decision of those who 

 use the ' Index/ But so much time is often lost in ascer- 

 taining where and when a generic name was first given, that 

 it is believed that the information thus accumulated in a 

 handy form cannot fail to be of much practical value. 



One of the most active and experienced members of the 

 B. O. U. has kindly favoured us with his opinion of the 

 present work as follows : — 



" The idea of Mr. Waterhouse's book is excellent, and only 

 those who work at synonymy day by day and year by year, 

 as the writer is compelled to do with the ' Catalogue of Birds/ 

 can comprehend what a boon has been given to us by the 

 work now offered to the public. It is by far the most com- 

 plete and carefully compiled Index to the Genera of Birds ; 

 and by the attention which the author has given to verifying 

 his references, the value of the book will be rendered per- 

 manent, and it will not be easily superseded, as the compila- 

 tions of some of his predecessors in the same field of literature 

 have been."— R. B. S. 



33. Winge on Pallas's Sand Grouse in Denmark. 



[Om Steppenhonen (Syrrhaptes paradoxus) i Danmark i 1888. Sam- 

 menstillet af Herluf Winge. Vidensk. Meddel. naturh. ForenW Kio- 

 benhavn, 1889, p. 57.] 



