Recent Oruitholugical Publications. 485 



used by Brandt, Bonaparte, and some others refers unmistakeably 

 to columba ^' * ? 



Dr. Coues allows the so-called " Ringed Gnillemot " to remain 

 as a distinct species, though he states that in his opinion it rests 

 only on a character which is probably an individual peculiarity 

 — we should be inclined to go further and say unhesitatingly 

 that it was so. He describes one new species, Simorhynchus cas- 

 sini, which, like all others of the genus, is from the North 

 Pacific, though very little seems to be known of the precise range 

 of each in those waters. Finally, we must once more say that if 

 we cannot speak so highly as we could have wished of this 

 " Monograph,^^ it is because we are comparing it with its author's 

 own works. 



Dr. Coues has also another paper in the Philadelphia ' Pro- 

 ceedings ' to be noticed. This is a "List of Birds collected in 

 Southern Arizona by Dr. E. Palmer," and, while adding four 

 species to those previously known, chiefly through the author's 

 exertions {cf. Ibis, 1867, pp. 130, 131), from the Territory, is 

 also valuable in clearly indicating some differences between the 

 avifauna of the southern desert and northern mountainous 

 portions of the district. The species belonging chiefly to these 

 two portions have their names typographically distinguished ; 

 and the paper is a valuable though unpretending contribution to 

 the knowledge of the geographical distribution of North-Ame- 

 rican birds. 



A paper published by Mr. Lawrence in the same Journal 

 towards the end of last year has hitherto been neglected by us. 



• It is a pity that Dr. Cones has not named the other authors who do 

 this. So far as we know, Mr. Cassin is the only recent writer to whom 

 the remark applies ^ but even he (Baird's B. N. Am. p. 912) does so with 

 doubt. Prof. Schlegel (Mus. P. B., Urinatores, pp. 17, 1^) of course treats 

 both U. columba and U. mandti as identical with U. grylle. Prof. 

 Reichenbach's figure (VoUst. Naturg. Schwimmv. pi. 4) mentioned by Dr. 

 Coues we have not seen, but we imagine it would afford but slender evi- 

 dence either way. Mr. Gray (Gen. B. iii. p. fi45) unites columba with 

 grylle and considers mandti distinct. 



