4l8 Rece7it Literattijc. (Octoher 



The serious defects and verj numerous faults of this treatise are those 

 which we have not discovered and therefore decline to mention. The 

 ^vingshooter does not live who never made a miss. On the contrary, 

 plenty of critics continue in existence who do not find what the}' want in 

 books because they do not know what they ought to want. Our advice 

 to all such, were it asked, would be, to waste none of their precious time 

 in finding fault with anybody until after they have done better themselves. 

 This practice would greatly promote industrj' among critics, and might 

 convert some of them into authors in due course of time, besides sparing 

 us much illiterate literature. Those who like to sample a bushel of wheat 

 by the grain of chaff which may reward their diligent search will continue 

 to amuse themselves in this manner until they discover the first rudiments 

 of sound book-reviewing. It is a young rooster that would rather put on 

 than take off his gaffs. — E. C. 



Allen on the Emargination of the Primaries. — A recent episode, not lack- 

 ing interest to one with any sense of humor, has recalled attention to the 

 mechanism of the wing and the mechanics of the flight of birds, and has 

 had one useful end in explaining the purpose of the emargination of the 

 primaries in Hawks and many other birds. It seems that Professor W. P. 

 Trowbridge, of NeAv York, eminent in many walks in science, conceived 

 the idea, groundless in point of fact, that the emargination served to 

 ' interlock' the primaries under some circumstances; and in this novel 

 notion he received the support of Professor J. S. Newberry, the distin- 

 guished geologist and naturalist. The subject was laid before the New 

 York Academy of Sciences, at a meeting held Oct. 17, 1887,* and resumed 

 Dec. 12, 1887, t when considerable discussion was elicited, and at the same 

 time papers appeared elsewhere. J At the meeting of the Academy of 

 Dec. 19, 1887, the subject was resumed, eliciting a warm discussion among 

 the members present.§ The ornithologists, without- exception, declined 

 to consider the interlocking theory in any other light than that of a 

 mistake. The outcome of the affair, which has closed the subject to date, 

 was an address by Professor J. A. Allen, before the Academy, Jan. 9, 



* Trowbridge, W. P. " A discovery by C. C. Trowbridge regarding the purpose of 

 emargination in the primary wing-feathers of certain birds." Trans. N, Y. Acad. Sci. 

 VII, Oct.- Nov. 1887, pp. 19-21. 



t Trowbridge, W. P., Newberry, J. S., and others. " The Mechanism of flight in 

 Soaring Birds." Trans. N. Y. Acad. Sci., VII, Dec. 1887-Mar. 1888, pp. 75-78. 



J Newbury, J. S., " The Flight of Birds," Science, Dec. 16, 1887, p. 290. 



Coues, E., " The Mechanism of the Flight of Birds," Science, Dec. 30, 1887. 



Newberry, J. S., " The Flight of Birds," Science, Jan. 6, 18S8, pp. 9, 10, and Trow- 

 bridge, W. P., Id., ibid., p. 10. 



§ " Discussion of the Mechanics of Bird Flight,'' by Professors Trowbridge, Newberry 

 Allen, Messrs. D. G. Elliot, G. B. Sennett, E. E. Thompson, and N. L. Britton, and 

 notes on the " Soaring of Birds," by Dr. J. B. Holder. Trans. N. Y. Acad. Sci., Dec. 

 1887-Mar. i888, pp. 80-87. 



