The Zoologist — February, 1873. 3381 



A Handbook to the Birds of Egypt. By G. E. Shelley, F.G.S., 

 Z.S., &c. London : Van Voorst, Paternoster Row. 1872. 

 342 pp. Royal 8vo ; fourteen coloured litho. plates. 



I HAVE refrained from everything like criticism of the arrange- 

 ment and names adopted by Mr. Harting and Mr. Gurney ; and 

 I shall follow the same course with Mr. Shelley's labours : still it 

 must not be understood that the absence of criticism implies appro- 

 bation ; it simply indicates that I am wearied of the ungracious 

 task of objecting to that tide of "change" which seems to pervade 

 every work on Ornithology. As well might one attempt to stem the 

 torrent of a mighty river by casting in a pebble-stone, as hope to 

 arrest the prevailing fashion, whether that fashion be the shape of 

 a bonnet or the name of a bird or a butterfly. The love of change 

 inherent in man and woman is a guarantee for the ephemeral 

 duration of all changes: nevertheless, without raising any objec- 

 tions, it seems desirable to give some idea of Mr. Shelley's general 

 views of the arrangement and classification of birds, inasmuch as 

 it differs very considerably from either of those at present in use in 

 this country; and his deviations from the beaten tracks are so con- 

 siderable, and so important that it will be interesting to lay them 

 before the ornithologists of this country, merely as a matter of 

 information, and not in any degree to offer my judgment on them 

 for better or for worse. Novelty ever commends itself to our notice, 

 and almost invariably to our favourable notice. 



Mr. Shelley divides the birds of Egypt into thirty-seven families, 

 and these are grouped into six larger divisions, one of which is 

 left unnamed and the remaining five are denominated " Orders," 

 thus: — 



I. [Unnamed group.] It comprises eight families : — Turdidae, con- 

 taining 10 species; Sylviidae, 57 species; Nectariniidae, 1 species; 

 Certhiidse, 1 species ; Laniidaj, 6 species ; Muscicapidte, 3 species; 

 Hirundinidae, 6 species; Motacillidge, 12 species, 3 of which are 

 placed in the genus Motacilla, 3 in Budytes, 6 in Anthus; 

 Alaudidce, containing 12 species; Eraberizidae, 4 species; Frin- 

 gillidae, 12 species; Oriolidae, 1 species ; Sturnidae, 2 species ; and 

 Corvidae, 7 species. 



SECOND SERIES — VOL. VIII. G 



