96 Recent Ornithological Publications. 



belief I have previously expressed, that it is only from the con- 

 sideration of an aggregate of characters that we can expect to 

 reach our goal, and that we are on no account to be discouraged 

 in our attempts to attain our ultimus finis by the difficulty of the 

 task. 



Professor Huxley informs me he is still continuing his labours 

 on the Sauropsida ; and I am sure all will be glad to hear it. I 

 have not dwelt upon the Coccygomorphoi, the proper division of 

 which certainly presents as difficult a problem to solve as any 

 group does. For the present they are left in four groups, sepa- 

 rated by the external characters of their feet, the first and last 

 of which groups are formed respectively of the Coliida and Tro- 

 go7iid(E ; the second contains the Musophagida, CuculidcB, Buc- 

 conida, Rhamphastida, Capitonidce, and GalbuUda; while the third 

 is made up of the Alcedinidce, Bucerotidce, Upupida, Meropid(B, 

 Momotida and Coraciidae. Prof, Huxley, however, seems to 

 think that it may hereafter be desirable to separate these four 

 groups still more widely, and in that case would retain the title 

 CuccygomorphcE for the second. 



I here close these remarks, many of which I well know are far 

 from behig adequate to the subject. I would fain hope that the 

 classification I have dared to criticise will obtain the closest at- 

 tention of ornithologists ; and there is, of course, plenty more to 

 be said about it. Though I have ventured to impugn some of 

 the main principles on which the scheme is founded, I am not 

 at all sure that it may not at last be generally adopted ; but even 

 if such be not the case, I am quite sure it will not be the least 

 of the services rendered to science by the present occupant of 

 the Hunterian Chair. 



Magdalene College, Cambridge, 

 16 December, 1867. 



X. — Notices of Recent Ornithological Publications. 

 1. English. 

 The promised translation of Nitzsch's ' Pterylographie,^ which 

 we some time ago announced (Ibis, 1865, p. 118), has at length 



