176 Recent Literature. 



zoologists of England, and addressed to Dr. Cones as a testimonial not 

 only to the value and importance of the work he has undertaken, but of 

 their appreciation of the thorou<fliness of its execution, and of his fitness 

 for the gigantic task he has undertaken. Besides being one of the finest 

 compliments ever paid to an American scientist, it is an appeal to the 

 "powers that be" for a recognition from our government of the importance 

 of the work Dr. Coues is doing for the science of ornithology, with the 

 hope that he nny be afforded every necessary facility for the completion 

 of the Avork under the most favorable circumstances. Furthermore, it is 

 a'Tceable and conclusive proof that English naturalists are ever prompt to 

 recognize American ones, and to extend to them a friendly, helping hand ; 

 and on this account cannot fail to be a gratification to American natural- 

 ists in general, as well as to American ornithologists. 



In heartilj" seconding this appeal to the Surgeon-General of the United 

 States Army, and to our government, we feel that we merely reflect the 

 sentiment of all American ornithologists, as we but echo that of the 

 memorialists, when we say that, aside from the great boon the completion 

 of" the work would confer upon Avorking ornithologists the world over, it 

 would redound greatly to the credit of our government, Avhich has already 

 an enviable reputation for the aid it has given science, if it could l)e com- 

 pleted under its auspices, since without its aid the completion of the work 

 cannot probably be soon accomplished. — J. A. A. 



" Memorial. 

 " To Elliott Coues, Esquire, Assistant Surgeon. United States' Akmy. 



" We, the undersigned, beg leave to express our high appreciation of the 

 ' Bibliographic il Appendix' to your work, 'Birds of the Colorado Val- 

 ley,' being No. 11 of the Miscellaneous Publications of the United States 

 Geological Survey of the Territories, under the chai-ge of Dr. Hayden. 

 And at the same time we wish to place on record our gratitude to that 

 "■entleman, and to the authorities of the Department to which you are 

 attached, for the liberality they have shown in grijnting }ou jjcrmission to 

 stay at Washington for the completion of this and other imjDoitant works 

 upon which you have now been so long and so usefully engaged. 



" The want of indexes to the ever increasing mass of Zoological literature 

 has long bectn felt by all workers in every department of that science ; but 

 the enormous labor of compilation has hitherto deterred many from under- 

 takincr a task so appalling. It is with no small satisfaction that we recog- 

 nize your readiness to devote yourself to work of this nature. Moreover, 

 we feel justified in hoping that should the instalment now published in tlie 

 volume above named be enlarged in a similar manner so as to include a 

 complete Bibliography of Ornithology, this branch of science will possess 

 an index to its writings perhaps more complete as to its scope and con- 

 tents than any kindred subject of similar extent. 



