Recent Literature. 55 



As regards the technicalities of the subject, the bibliography and sy- 

 nonymy of each species, not only of the region in question but of the whole 

 continent north of Mexico, is exhaustively presented,* no reference of im- 

 portance to any of the species being apparently omitted, while not un- 

 frequently, and especially in case of the rarer and little known species, the 

 locality to which the reference relates is stated, or the general nature of 

 the information specified is indicated. Notwithstanding the fact that titles 

 are abridged to the minimum, f the tables of reference usually rano-e in 

 length from half a page to a page and a half, and embrace from fifty to 

 one hundred, and sometimes more than two hundred, references. While 

 f ome of them may be valueless, we feel assured that the work of compila- 

 tion has been so thoroughly done, — especially as we are informed that all 

 the references have been personally verified by the author, — that no one 

 need go over the same ground again. In all cases of complicated sy- 

 nonymy the matter is sifted to the bottom, and where specific names have 

 been based on figures or descriptions by non-systematic writers, the exact 

 basis of such names is distinctly stated, and their claims to priority or other 

 recognition judicially presented. In short, the evidence of tireless research 

 and unquestionable thoroughness marks especially this intricate portion of 

 the author's work. The outcome of all this labor does not, fortunately, 

 often disturb commonly accepted names, although elucidating many inter- 

 esting points of synonymy. The first one hundred and ninety-two pa"-es 

 of the work, it appears, were electrotyped in 1876, or two years before the 

 remainder of the work was put in type. In the later portion of the work 

 generic synonymy is given as well as specific, and in the later chapters 

 the etymology of various scientific and vernacular names receives special 

 attention, — featui-es lacking in the earlier portion. Under the head of 

 Swallows is given also a resume of the principal writings relatintr to the 

 supposed hibernation of these birds, with an extensive bibliography of the 

 subject. 



As indicated in the title-page already quoted, this part of the work 

 treats the Perching Birds as far as the Shrikes (including the latter), or 

 that portion of the order sometimes termed Dcntirostral Passeres. Tlie 

 geograi)hical area embra^^ed is " the whole region drained by the Colorado 

 River of the West and its tributaries, as far south as the present Mexican 

 boundary of the United States." It hence includes " Arizona, much of 



* We miss, however, all reference to Rfcjulus cuvicri, and the bibliography of 

 Sitta pusilla and of Parus atrica^nlliis, excepting that relating ta var. septen- 

 trional j.s. 



t The abridgment of titles is carried to such an extreme that while intelli- 

 gible at sight to the advanced specialist, they must in many cases be useless to 

 the less experienced, a-s many by no means novices in ornithology might be at 

 a loss for an interpretation of "Bp. CGL.," " £p. OR.," '^Bp. CA.," or "Cab. 

 MH.," or even " C. d; S. NHWT." 



