V ?s' X1 ] Recent Literature. 65 



new, being even considerably modified from that proposed by the same 

 writer in 1870. 



The Indian Region is divided into five subregions, and the Australian 

 into seven ; but they are given simply in a tabular enumeration without 

 attempt at definition bej'ond that implied in the names given them. The 

 accompanying maps, however, serve to define them, and also all of the 

 other zoogeographical areas mentioned in the accompanying text. 



The paper as a whole gives evidence of hast}' preparation, and is quite 

 too brief for a satisfactory presentation of the subject, the treatment being 

 merely in outline. We trust that Dr. Sharpe will soon find time to return 

 to this interesting subject, to which he has evidently given so much atten- 

 tion, and present his views in greater detail, backed by fuller statistical 

 information as to the distinctive elements of the several areas here 

 outlined. For the most part his scheme seems reasonable, the chief 

 blemish being in his treatment of the Arctic and Cold Temperate portions 

 of the northern hemisphere, which is much less satisfactory than Prof. 

 Newton's allocation of this whole area as a single 'Holarctic Region' 

 (c/. antea, p. 59). —J. A. A. 



Apgar's Pocket Key of Birds. 1 — A manual of North American birds 

 compact enough and cheap enough to accommodate itself to every one's 

 pocket, one by which even the most inexperienced can identify a bird in 

 the hand, will be widely welcomed. Indeed it is hard to conceive of a 

 more useful book — or one more difficult to prepare. It is not so very hard, 

 with unlimited space and a free use of technical terms, to write descrip- 

 tions by which an ornithologist of some experience can identify birds he 

 already more than half knows; but diagnoses that shall be concise and 

 sufficient, untechnical and clear, that shall make obscure plumages easy 

 for the tyro to recognize, are by no means a simple matter. Yet this is 

 exactly what is needed. 



The present volume begins with a 'Key to the Families,' and then each 

 family, from the Thrushes to the Grebes, is treated in turn. First comes 

 a key to its genera (and sometimes to convenient subdivisions of the 

 larger genera), then under each a statement of characters by which the 

 species it contains may be distinguished. These specific diagnoses are 

 very brief, averaging only eight or ten words apiece. For many species, 

 those whose characters are well marked and constant, this is enough. 

 In more difficult cases it would not be surprising if the student were to 

 agree with the author, that "after the supposed name is determined, it 

 would be well to read a full description in such works as those of Dr. 

 Jordan, Dr. Coues, or Mr. Ridgway, to verify the determination." When 

 a writer takes such a modest view of the purposes of his book, it is hard to 



1 Pocket Key | of the | Birds | of the | Northern United States, | east of the Rocky 

 Mountains. | — | By | Austin C. Apgar, | Author of "Trees of the Northern United 

 States," "Mollusks of the | Atlantic Coast," &c. | — | Trenton, N. J. | The John L. 

 Murphy Pub. Co., Printers. | 1893. 16, ° pp. 63 [=61]. 



9 



