266 Recent Literature. [ July 
from nearly all of the islands of the West Indies, numbering altogether 
many thousands of specimens. He, himself, made five trips to different 
parts of the West Indies, and besides, sent out various collectors to the 
different islands, some of whom were in the field for from six to eighteen 
months each. Mr. Cory’s book. forms an invaluable hand-book of West 
Indian ornithology, and will prove indispensible to all future workers in 
this field, his citation of the extensive literature being especially impor- 
tant.—J. A. A. 
Sclater’s Catalogue of the Mesomyodian Passeres.*—Few books can be 
more welcome to the general student of birds than monographic works 
treating of the non-oscinine Passeres of America, the literature relating to 
them being widely scattered and difficult of access, the synonymy perplex- 
ing, and the species of the larger genera exceptionally difficult to distin- 
guish. When the task of bringing order out of this almost hopeless chaos is 
undertaken by a master in the field, as in the present case, whose familiarity 
with the birds to be treated is admittedly greater than that of any of his 
fellow-workers in the same field, the ordinary student can but feel that a 
great burden has been lifted, and a vast flood of light spread over a dark 
corner of the ornithological field. While the work before us is an inestim- 
able boon, and will make the way far easier for all who may come after, it 
still leaves much to be desired, and is in some ways disappointing and un- 
satisfactory. But, from the nature of the case, this was perhaps unavoid- 
able, and the attitude of the reviewer should be one of gratitude for 
blessings received rather than of criticism and complaint that an ideal 
treatment of the subject has not been presented. 
‘In dealing,” says Dr. Sclater, ‘‘with the five Neogean families—Tyran- 
nid, Oxyrhamphide, Pipride, Cotingide, and Phytotomide—lI have 
followed throughout, with few exceptions, the divisions and arrangement 
adopted by Mr. Salvin and myself in our ‘Nomenclator Avium Neotropi- 
calium,’ published in 1873. It would have been better, no doubt, in some 
respects, to have attempted a thorough revision of these groups; but I 
felt that the short time assigned to me for the preparation of the present 
volume, and the comparatively little leisure I had to devote to it, would 
not give mea chance of performing this revision satisfactorily. This, 
therefore, I must leave to some younger and better qualified worker to 
perform. Nevertheless,... I feel that I have accomplished a not unsat- 
isfactory piece of work, and one that will enable the ornithologist of the 
future, who may wish to take in hand a real monograph of these difficult 
groups, to start with much greater advantage.” To concede this claim, 
*Catalogue | of the | Passeriformes, | or Perching Birds, | in the | Collection | of the 
British Museum. | — | Oligomyodz, | or the Families | Tyrannidz, Oxyrhamphide, 
Pipridze, Cotingidz, | Phytotomidze, Philepittidze, Pittidee, | Xenicidze, and Eurylze- 
midze. | By | Philip Lutley Sclater. | London: | Printed by order of the Trustees, | 
1888.—8vo, pp. xx + 495, pll. xxvi. Forming Vol. XIV of ‘Catalogue of the Birds in 
‘he British Museum,’ 
