-4" Recent Literature. 



records," an assistance which was a practical guarantee against any 

 ver\ gross errors. 



To say that the book is exceedingly well-written would be doing it scant 

 justice. Dr. Coues's brilliant talents in this respect are already well known, 

 but we have perhaps never had so striking a proof of them as is afforded 

 by the present volume. The work has been done so thoroughly that in 

 point of completeness it is almost perfect ; so consistently that but few points 

 are open to criticism ; so concisely that one hundred and thirty-eight 

 species are treated in two hundred and seventy octavo pages. And the 

 arrangement of the whole is masterly. Gracefully turned descriptive 

 passages and sparkling bits of commentary everywhere enliven the sub- 

 structure of fact, as the brighter colors of an old piece of tapestry set off 

 its more sombre background. Those who are familiar with such works 

 as the "Birds of the North-west" and " Birds of the Colorado Valley'" 

 will have no difficulty in judging for themselves to what extent the editor 

 acted on the author's permission " in revising, and to some extent re- 

 writing" the latter's notes for publication. 



There is, however, one feature which we cannot approve, and which will 

 doubtless be regretted by all who are familiar with I lie history of the case 

 on which it bears. We allude to the numerous comments on the records 

 left by a late well-known ornithologist. The strictures themselves are 

 in many, perhaps most, cases just, but they are characterized by a certain 

 bitterness of tone which implies a lack of respect for the memory of an 

 opponent who is no longer able to speak in his own defence. 



It remains to make some reference to the ostensible author of the 

 work. Simply, then, Mr. Stearns may be congratulated on his wise 

 choice of an editor. — W. B. 



Cory's Beautiful and Curious Birds. — Part III of Mr. Cory's 

 work* treats of Menura superba, the well known Australian Lyre Bird; 

 Dipkyllodes respublica, a peculiar Bird of Paradise found on Batarra and 

 the Waigiou Islands in the Malay Archipelago; and the Ruff (Machetes 

 pngnax). The latter is of interest to American ornithologists as an occa- 

 sional straggler from Europe, where, as in Asia and Africa, it is widely 

 distributed and generally known, and is especially noteworthy for its 

 pugnacious disposition and remarkable plumage. 



The plates in the present number fully sustain the high degree of 

 excellence which characterized those of the earlier ones. That of the 

 Lyre Bird is notably fine ; the coloring is rich and soft, while the wonder- 

 ful details of the lyre-shaped tail are executed with great clearness and 

 delicacy. The iridescent hues of the Bird of Paradise are also well man- 

 aged. The work is well worthy of the patronage of those who may 

 desire excellent life-size figures of a series of exceptionally remarkable 

 forms of bird-life, with the accompaniment of appropriate text. — J. A. A. 



* See this Bulletin, Vol. V, p. 236 and Vol. VI, p. 111. 



