Recent Literature. 79 



Australian. In respect to North American fipecies, the Raven (Corvvs 

 corax) is not separated even varietally from the Raven of the Old World, 

 Mr. Sharpe statinfj that the characters given by authors for tlieir separation 

 do not hohl good in his series of specimens. In respect to changes of 

 nomenclature among North American species, it may be noted that the old 

 genus Corvus is here much subdivided, so that our Fish-Crow stands as 

 C'olceus ossijrafjus, and the Common Crow as Corone americanus ; NurAfratja 

 (Brisson, 1760) appears in place of IHcicorvus for the Clarke's Crow, and 

 Cyanurus is regarded as a synonyme of Cijanocorax, our Blue-Jay (C'.cris- 

 tatus) being referred to the genus Cyanocitta. Nearly all of the numerous 

 fonns of Western Jays (genera Perisoreus, Cyanocitta, and Aphelocoma), 

 recognized as varieties by American ornithologists, are raised by Mr. 

 Sharpe to the rank of species, two of which (Perisc'reus capitalis and P. 

 obscurus) are figured. In this volume, in fact, very few "subspecies" are 

 recognized. 



We are sorry to see in Mr. Sharpe's third volume several instances of 

 the use of the same name in a generic and specific sense for the same 

 species, with such ridiculous results as " Pica pica," " Pyrrhocorax pyrrho- 

 corax," etc., which is not only opposed to gofxl taste, to say the least, but 

 to a very generally accepted rule of nomenclature. Also that the value of 

 his very full bililiographical references is inipaired by his not adding the 

 date of publication. This was very unifonnly done in the first volume, 

 and to some extent in the second, and we sincerely hope he will see fit to 

 resume the practice in his later volumes. — J. A. A. 



Rowley's "The Pied Duck." — Mr. G. D. Rowley's monographic 

 essay on the Labrador or Pied Duck (Somateria lahradoria) * is a timely and 

 exhaustive contribution to the history of a species believed to be rapidly 

 approaching extinction. Nearly all that relates to its literary history is 

 here bnjught together, the paper consisting largely of excerj)ts gathered 

 from the writing? of ail authors who have referred to the species. While 

 apparently of rather frequent occurrence along our Atlantic coast, as far 

 south at least as Long Island, New Jersey, and Delaware, fifty to thirty 

 years ago, it has of late been rarely observed and few specimens appear to 

 have been taken since 18G8. Its last-recorded capture, as appears from a 

 letter from Mr. George N. Lawrence, published in Mr. Rowley's paper, 

 seems to have occurred " in the fall of 1874," when a specimen was ob- 

 tained by Mr. J. Wallace, from Long Island, from which source the same 

 gentleman had obtained four or five others during the previous five years. 

 All were females or immature males, and only one adult male is known to 

 have been taken in the last twenty years. 



• Somateria labradoria (J. F. Gmelin). The Pied Duck. By G. D. Eowley, 

 M. A., F. L. S., F. Z. S., etc., etc. Ornithological Miscellany, Vol. II, Part 

 VI, pp. 205-223, with 5 plates, 1877. London, Quaritch, 15 Piccadilly, W.; 

 Triibner k Co., Ludgate Hill, E. C; Pi. H. Porter, 6 Teuterden St., Hanover 

 Square, W. 



