Recent Literature. 45 



third instalment consists of a selection of titles belonging to the "system- 

 atic" department of the general "Bibliography of Ornithology." Its 

 exact scope and arrangement the author thus explains : "In this [system- 

 atic] department come the titles of all publications treating of particular 

 species, genera, or families of Birds, systematically arranged by Families, 

 in chronological order under each family, with alphabetization of authors' 

 names under each date. The lot of titles herewith presented, however, 

 are only those that relate to American species. Of those families which 

 are exclusively American, as. for example. Mniotiltidce. Icteridce, Tana- 

 grida?. Trockuidce, etc.. I give, of course, all the titles in my possession; 

 but of those families which are more cosmopolitan, as the Turdidce or 

 Fringillidce, I select only the titles relating to American species; and of 

 extra-limital families no titles whatever are given. Such is the ostensible 

 scope of the present instalment : but I actually give many titles relating 

 to extra-limital species, when the close relationship of such species makes 

 it desirable, or when the insertion of a few such additional titles enables 

 me to present all that I possess of certain families.*' 



The author further states : "The three instalments together represent 

 a nearly complete Bibliography of Ornithology so far as America is con- 

 cerned. They are published in this manner in advance of the whole 

 work for several reasons — among others, both to render immediately 

 available certain departments of the Bibliography which are practically 

 completed, and to invite criticisms and suggestions for the bettering of 

 the work. ... In only one particular would I deprecate criticism at 

 present — and this is respecting the arrangement of the titles; for the 

 scheme of the work cannot be fairly appreciated until the whole is pub- 

 lished, including the several contemplated Indexes." The author states 

 that ir*is not his intention to print any more of the work at present, the 

 American departments being the only ones sufficiently perfected to war- 

 rant their leaving his hands, but meanwhile he is preparing manuscript 

 for the rest "as rapidly and as continuously as possible." * 



In respect to the grouping of the species and genera of the Passeres 

 into families, it is almost to be regretted that the author decided to follow 

 the quite unnatural and now antiquated arrangement of Gray's "Hand- 

 list of Birds." The reasons for this procedure are stated to be the abso- 

 lute necessity for "some fixed standard " for this grouping, and the indefi- 

 nate limitations of the families in this order, and Grav's system being a 

 well-known one has been selected. The other families present fewer 

 difficulties, "being sufficiently nearly agreed upon bv ornithlogists." For 

 the Passerine families "the titles have been assorted strictly and 

 exactly according to the composition and sequence of those groups" in 

 the Grayian system. 



In reference to the character of the work, it is enough to say that it is 

 fully up to the high standard of excellence of the previous instalments 



"►Subsequently to this decision, however, and while the "Third Instalment" was 

 passing through the press, the author so far departed from the plan here announced as 

 to print a "Fourth Instalment," presently to be noticed. 



