Recently published Oi'nithological Works. 113 



Those of our readers who have not been to America may 

 require to be iuformed that the American Museum of Natural 

 History is in New York, and is, next to that of the U.S, 

 National Museum at Washington, we suppose, the most 

 extensive in the country. The series exhibited in the " Bird- 

 Hall," we are told in Mr. Allen's ' Guide,' numbers about 

 11,000 specimens. It consists chiefly of three important col- 

 lections, obtained by purchase, namely : — (1) the Elliot Collec- 

 tion of North- American Birds ; (2) the Maximilian Collection, 

 i. e., that of Prince Max. of Neu Wied ; and (3) the Verreaux 

 Collection of about 3000 specimens, selected by Mr. Elliot 

 from the stores of that formerly well-known firm of com- 

 mercial naturalists. Besides this mounted series there is a 

 large series of about 30,000 specimens in skins, made up 

 mainly of: — (1 ) the Lawrence Collection, lately obtained from 

 our distinguished correspondent, Mr. G. N. Lawrence, which 

 consists of about 12,000 specimens, and the value of which 

 can scarcely be overrated, from its containing all that orni- 

 thologist's numerous types ; (2) the Elliot Collection of 

 Humming-birds, containing the specimens used by Mr. Elliot 

 in preparing his well-known monograph ; (3) the Smith Col- 

 lection from Matto Grosso, Brazil ; and (4) the Scott and 

 Mearns Collection of Arizona birds. We may, indeed, well 

 congratulate Mr. Allen upon the material which he has at 

 his command to work upon. 



After this useful preliminary information the Handbook 

 proceeds to give a summary account of the various groups of 

 the order Aves, as illustrated in the American Museum. The 

 arrangement adopted is quite in accordance with the most 

 modern views, and begins with the oldest and lowest types, 

 ending with the Passeres, which are made the 23rd order 

 of the subclass " Eurhipiduraj."" The information given 

 appears to be usually accurate, but we observe a slip (p. 43) 

 where the Acromyodian Passeres are identified with the 

 Clamatores, and the Mesomyodians with the Oscines. Nor 

 are we quite prepared to admit that the nests of Collocalia 

 are ''mixed with algae," or that the Palamedeidae "swim well." 

 The 'Guide' closes with an account of the "Bird-groups," 



SER. VI. VOL. r. I 



