384 



Recent Literature. 



' October 



Perhaps the most striking, and to the lay student the most unlocked for 

 and unwelcome feature of the work, are the numerous changes in nomen- 

 clature as compared with Mr. Ridgway's 'Nomenclature of North American 

 Birds,' published in 1881, and the numerous additions to the list of pre- 

 viously recognized North American species. The additions, 23 in number, 

 include, besides several Old World species, some half a score described 

 within the last two years. The additions are : — 



Ardea wardi. 



yEgialitis mongolica. 



Eurynorhynchus pygmseus. 



Rallus beldingi. 



Fulica atra. 



Olor cygnus. 



Fuligula rufina. 



Mergellus albellus.* 



Pelecanus (fuscus.?) californicus-f 



Phalacrocorax dilophus albocilia- 



tus. 

 Phalacrocorax pelagicus robustus.f 



Larus kumlieni. 

 Larus nelsoni. 

 Larus schistisagus. 

 Larus minutus. 

 Xema furcata. 

 Diomedea exulans. 

 Diomedea melanophrys 

 Puffinus borealis. 

 CEsti-elata fisheri. 

 CEstrelata gularis. 

 Cepphus grylle.J 

 Cepphus motzfeldi. 



The principal changes in nomenclature are indicated below, the left hand 

 series being the names used in the 'Nomenclature' of 1881, the right hand 

 series those adopted in the 'Water Birds.' In many cases the changes have 

 been for some time foreseen as inevitable ; in others their necessity has only 

 recently become evident; a few are here made for the first time. The 

 bouleversement is most radical among the Loons, Grebes, and Auks, 

 where the subversions in several cases amount to the actual transposition 

 of names from one group to another. While such transpositions are to 

 be deplored, the future stability of nomenclature of course demands their 

 adoption when shown to be inevitably necessary. 



'NOMENCLATURE.' 



Herodias alba egretta. 

 Vanellus cristatus. 

 Charadrius pluvialis. 

 ^gialitis cantiaca nivosa. 

 Gallinago media wilsoni. 

 Gallinago media. 

 Totanus glottis. 

 Lobipes hyperboreus. 

 Grus fratercula. 

 " canadensis. 



'water birds. 



* Added in view of its probable future occurence. 



t Subsp. nov. 



X Not Uria grylle of the Check List, which is now Cepphus mnvdti. 



