V ?S 9 4 XI ] Recent Literature. 1 67 



the point before, and we must not be guilty of plagiarizing — no, not even 

 of auto-plagiarism. The faithful readers of 'The Auk' have been given 

 the reference, and can easily turn to what would otherwise be said at the 

 present juncture. We have not a word of that notice to retract or modify. 

 Mr. Nehrling's book has taken, and will doubtless long maintain, the 

 position he himself assigns as fitting, and no author could desire more 

 than this. He has written to good purpose; his work should have along, 

 prosperous, and useful life. Nehrling will probably awake some day to 

 find his writings ranked with those it becomes customary to call 'classic,' 

 when their respective authors have forgotten alike the pangs and pleasures 

 of delivery, and grown insensible to silence or applause. 



As the present Volume I contains 18 plates, and 36 are promised per 

 title, we understand it is to be followed by one more of like proportions. 

 The present volume seems to be entirely Oscinine, and Mr. Nehrling may 

 have to put on his thinking-cap if he is to bring the rest of the Passerines 

 and all the Picarians into the category of "birds of song and beauty." 

 We are not informed regarding any business aspect of the work, and its 

 consequently necessary limitations, but Mr. Nehrling's plan seems to us 

 capable of expansion beyond the advertised limits. All birds do not sing, 

 but all are beautiful to one who understands them and keeps in touch 

 with them as well as Mr. Nehrling does. We imagine that the publica- 

 tion should be immensely popular and that the publisher would be justi- 

 fied in amplifying its scope, until all our birds are brought under the one 

 elastic category, for the like treatment at a Nehrling's hand. To cite an 

 instance, there are the game-birds, in which a very large number of non- 

 ornithological ornithologists are always interested. "Bobwhite" sounds 

 well, one of the Ducks sings well enough to have been named Anas 

 cantans, and Aix sponsa is certainly a bird of beauty. But we desist, for 

 we are in danger of falling into that easiest and worst of reviewing sins — 

 telling an author what he ought to do, instead of informing the public 

 how well or ill he has done that which he designed to do. 



The plates of this work are of an uneven order of merit. If we may be 

 permitted to express an individual preference, without entering into 

 invidious comparisons, we may say that those of the Goldcrest and Gnat- 

 catcher please us most, and it should not be difficult to maintain that 

 degree of excellence. 



With hearty welcome, congratulations, and hopes for the speedy com- 

 pletion of a work which departs so widely from the average of its kind in 

 making so near an approach to such as Audubon typifies, — E. C. 



Anthony on the Birds of San Pedro Martir, Lower California. 1 — This is 

 a liberally annotated list of 121 species, based on the author's personal 

 observations, made chiefly during the month of May, 1893. "The region 

 embraced in the name of San Pedro Martir consists of a high plateau of 



l Birds of San Pedro Martir, Lower California. By A. W. Anthony. Zoe, Vol. IV, 

 1893, pp. 228-247. 



