i8SS.] Recent Literature. igi 



Grebes, Auks, Gulls, Petrels, Plovers. Snipes, Cranes, Rails, Pheasants. 

 Tinamous, and their allies"). V. Struthiofonnes ("Ostriches, Cassowa- 

 ries, Apterjx, and their allies"). The Charadriiformes are divided into 

 seven suborders, of which the fourth, or 'Limicolje,' is in turn divided into 

 eight families, as follows : Pteroclidse, Turnicidse, Thinocoridse, Drotna- 

 didae, CharadriidiE, Otididae, Parridoe, and Chionidae ; the 'Charadriida;,' 

 (= Limicolse, 'auct. plur.') with the limits above indicated, forming the 

 subject of the present work. He considers it "absurd" to create orders 

 for fossil birds, as some ornithologists have done, apparently because we 

 know so few "links" of the " endless chain !" 



Passing for the present this certainly very 'original' scheme of classifi- 

 cation without further comment, we come to 'Chapter II. The Evolution 

 of Birds.' This chapter (pp. 1-15) we commend to the reader as a 

 thoroughly philosophic and sensible presentation of the subject, — one of 

 the best, from our point of view, we have ever seen, and to nearly every 

 line of which we give hearty assent. It is a terse and able discussion of 

 many moot points, which Mr. Seebohm, we do not hesitate to say, has 

 treated in a masterly way. 'Chapter III. The Differentiation of Species' 

 (pp. 16-24), is in the same line, and inspires our equally hearty indorse- 

 ment. In fact, we have long held substantially the views here so well 

 expressed and defended, and on many of the points have, on difierent 

 occasions, written to the same effect, particularly in relation to so-called 

 'natural selection.' There is much in these two chapters we would gladly 

 quote did space permit. 



'Chapter IV. The Glacial Epoch' ( pp. 25-32 ), is devoted to an 

 explanation of the origin, dispersion, and present geographical distribu- 

 tion of the various forms of the 'Charadriidiie,' through the influence of 

 successive periods of glaciation ; in general the views here promulgated 

 have much in their favor. 'Chapter V. Migration' (pp. 33-50) contains 

 much that is instructive and suggestive, though some of his conclusions 

 may be open to question. 



'Chapter VI. The Paradise of the Charadriidae' (pp. 51-58) treats 

 at some length of the habits of these birds in their Arctic breeding-grounds, 

 and graphically describes the physical features and the climate of the 

 region, largely from personal experience, where so many of the northern 

 species find their summer home. 



'Chapter VII. Zoological Regions,' is based entirely upon the birds 

 especially under consideration. The 'Regions'- — which "have nothing 

 whatever to do" with "the Zoological Regions of Sclater and others," — 

 three in number, are strictly climatic belts, as follows : First, an 'Arctic 

 Region,' situated between the July isothermals of 60° and 40°. Second? 

 a 'Tropical Region,' limited by the isothermals for July (north of the 

 equator) and January (south of the equator) of 77°. Third, a 'Temperate 

 Region,' divided into two by the last named region — a north Temperate 

 and a south Temperate, the former bounded by the July isothermals of 77° 

 and 60°, and the latter by the corresponding isothermals for January. 

 Were the whole 'suborder Limicolse' considered, Mr. Seebohm says "we 



