Bihliographical Notices. 467 



nre, clearly jiointed out, and that, where changes in the names have 

 been introduced, it is generally only in strict obedience to rules, the 

 object of which is to establish uniformity of nomenclature. 



We must also again call attention to the admirable plan pursued, 

 of cataloguing every specimen obtained, and giving not only its exact 

 locality, but its dimensions. It is only by drawing specific characters 

 from such a series, instead of describing from isolated individuals, 

 that the great error which the late Prince Bonaparte (who in this 

 respect, it must be confessed, often practised what he preached 

 against) used to denounce so emphatically as that of "describing 

 sjJecimens instead of species," can be avoided. 



While thus according praise, we must not neglect to protest against 

 the occasionally rather numerous misprints in the book, which are 

 certainl}^ more frequent than they ought to be, and against the care- 

 less way in which the scientific names are sometimes written ; such 

 as Thriothorus instead of Thryothorus (dpvor, ariindo), Lanivireo 

 instead of Laniivireo (a barbarous compound at the best), IlyJa- 

 tomus for Hylofomus {hXoTOfxoi), Sphyrapicus for Sphyropicus 

 ((7(pvim et 2)icus !), &c. 



Prof. Baird's preface gives a brief sketch of the modern alterations 

 in the arrangement of the non-rapacious land-birds, now very gene- 

 rally gaining ground, and which he himself adopts. From the list 

 of authors mentioned as associated in this important reform, we must 

 beg him to strike out the name of Reichenbach. In the ' Iland- 

 buch der Speciellen Ornithologie' of that laborious compiler, and the 

 miscalled 'Avium Systcma Naturale,' he will find little attention 

 paid to Midler's great discoveries, but a complication of arrangement 

 only to be compared to the dreams of the extinct Quinarians, or the 

 fantasies of the author of the celebrated ' Entwickelungs-geschichte 

 der Europfiischen Thierwelt.' 



Among the sixt3^-one North iVmerican Accipitres (which still re- 

 tain their place at the head of the present arrangement), it can only 

 be a strong feeling of i)atriotism that induces Sir. Cassin to retain 

 in his list Audubon's Fulco Washingtonii. This bird would, we 

 suspect, have been long ago cast out by American ornithologists, were 

 it not for its name. No one now believes in certain birds described by 

 the great Le Vaillant as observed by himself in Africa ; and the time 

 is come when the existence of Washington's Eagle, as seen by the 

 great Audubon in Kentucky, must be considered as equally mythical. 



The Scansores, which take the next place, include thirty-five spe- 

 cies, principally made up of Woodpeckers, which find a congenial 

 habitation in what may be truly called " the continent of forests." 

 But however much Prof. Baird may wish to add the magnificent 

 Cainpephilus imperialis to the list of truly North American species, 

 we suspect he will have to wait some time before he accomplishes it. 

 There is good reason to believe that its true habitat is Guatemala — 

 the country of tlie Long-tadcd Trogon and Derbian Oreophasis — and 

 that it probably does not occur even so far north as Mexico. A 

 good deal of "annexation" must therefore take place before the im- 

 perial bird is brought within the limits of the great Republic. 



