208 Recently published Ornithological Works. 



p. 1, pi. i.) is adduced as another example of "mutation," 

 and the Coturnix lodoisics of Yerreaux and the so-called 

 "Sabine's Snipe" are possibly referable to the same class of 

 phenomena. 



28. Suschkin on the Classification of the Accipitres. 



[Zur Morphologie des Yogelskelets. Yergleickende Osteologie der 

 normalen Tagraubvogel (Accipitres) uud die Fragen der Classification. 

 Yon P. P. Suschkin. Nouv. Mem. Soc. Imp. d. Nat. Moscou, xvi. livr. 4 



(190o).] 



This is an excellent piece of work, but what is to be the 

 fate of ornithology if the settlement of a portion of the Birds- 

 of-Prey requires 250 quarto pages especially well written by 

 a careful expert ! 



The author draws attention to the untrustworthy material 

 which served for the illustrations of Dr. A. B. Meyer's well- 

 known c Photographs of Bird-Skeletons/ and since these are 

 often used as standard references, he has criticised in detail a 

 number of grave errors in identification. 



Suschkin divides the Accipitres (exclusive of Pandion and 



Serpentarius) into two families, of which he gives the 



following definitions based upon external characters : — 



Fam. Falconid.e. — The palatal surface of the rhamphotheca 



is furnished with a sharp longitudinal ridge, which 



gradually diminishes forwards. 



The limit of the pterylosis on the sides of the lower 

 jaw appears as a straight or gently curved line 

 directed downwards and forwards ; or, if the plumage 

 does not extend upon the under-jaw, the crown of 

 the head is covered with fine feathers. 

 Fam. Aquilid^e. — The palatal surface is devoid of a longi- 

 tudinal ridge ; there is often an elevation on the 

 posterior palatal rhamphotheca, but it ends in this case 

 always abruptly in front. 



The feathering of the sides of the lower jaw appears 

 in the shape of an acute angle ; or, if the sides of 

 the jaw are bare, the crown is also bare or covered 

 with down onlv. 



