1919-] Recently published Ornithological Works. 777 



Kirke Sivami on the Birds of Prey. 



[A S3'noptical list of the Accipitres (Diurnal Birds of Prey). Part I. 

 [Sarcorkamphus to Accipiter). Comprising- species and subspecies 

 described up to 1914, with their characters and distribution. By 

 H. Kirke Swann, F.Z.S. Pp. 1-38. London (Wheldon), 1919. 8vo.] 



So far as we are aware no complete revision of tlie 

 Accipitres has been attempted since the publication in 

 1874 of the first volume of the '^ Catalogue of Birds' by 

 Dr. Bowdler Sharpe. A vast amount of additional infor- 

 mation on the subject of the Birds of Prey is to be found 

 in the long series of critical papers on Dr. Sharpe's volume 

 by the late j\Ir, John Henry Gurney, published in the 

 volumes of ' Tiie Ibis ' between 1875 and 1882; and in his 

 Hand-list published in 1899 Dr. Sharpe brought the list 

 up to date by incorporating the recently described species. 

 There is therefore ample excuse for tiie publication of this 

 little work by Mr. Swann. 



As regards classification the Hand-list is followed, and 

 the [)resent instalment contains the Condors, the Old World 

 Vultures, the Polyboriuje, and the Accipitrinse. Short 

 diagnostic characters are given, but we fear they will not be 

 found sufficient to identify unknown forms of Hawks, so 

 varied and complicated are the plumage-changes in this 

 group. 



It is to be regretted too that Mr. Swann has not given full 

 references to the genera and a determination of the types, 

 which is so necessary for successful systematic work. 



Mr. Swann has rightly, under the rules of nomenclature, 

 discarded the use oi tlie generic name Vultur for the 

 Cinereous Vulture in favour of JEffypius ; but surely it is 

 impossible to ignore the use of the former name altogetherj 

 and there can be no doubt that, if the rules be adhered to, 

 the genus Vultur must go to the South American Condor. 

 The alternative is cither to keep Vultur for the Okl World 

 species to which it has been traditionalh'^ attached as a 

 nomen conservundum, or l)oldly follow the rules and transfer 

 it to the Condor. Again, tiie genus Cutharista is un- 

 doubtedly an absolute synonym of Cathartes, as both are 



