280 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



have no doubt that there are some who will be glad to have a 

 work of this kind. When, however, we look upon it as an intro- 

 duction to Ornithology, for such it is also intended to be, we 

 cannot say that it comes up to our standard. Were a youthful 

 naturalist to go to a zoological garden with this work in his hand, 

 and gain, as he can, from it a knowledge of the specific characters 

 of some ten or fifteen species of the genus Turtur he would, we 

 are confident, have got just the very kind of knowledge that he 

 ought not to have. The accurate discrimination of species is the 

 work of the specialist, who, however well Dr. Reichenow may 

 here briefly define his forms, will be content with nothing less 

 than personal manipulation and monographic revision. The 

 young naturalist should try to gain a wide, though accurate, 

 conception of what may be called the plan of ornithological 

 structure, and this he can never work out for himself by the 

 study of species and specific characters. Nor will he, we must 

 add, be at all aided in any such attempt by the very unsatisfac- 

 tory introduction which is to be found in this volume. An 

 ' Introduction to Ornithology,' containing a general account of 

 the anatomical structure, well illustrated by wood-cuts, followed 

 by a sketch of the geographical distribution of birds, and an out- 

 line of their palreontological history, and having not much more 

 than half its whole taken up by a history of the orders, families, 

 and a certain number of well-selected genera, would be a very much 

 better book for a commencing student; and, were we later to add 

 on to this a manual of the Ornithology of one's own native land, 

 we should be taking much more effectual steps for the production 

 of a really scientific zoologist — of one, that is, who would be 

 able to work in the narrowest groove and on the most minute 

 questions, without being blinded, either in eye or mind, to wider 

 problems or great general truths. 



With only one volume before us we cannot say anything as to 

 the classification which the author has adopted, but we feel bound 

 to protest against the introduction, in a work of this kind, of the 

 name of Ilippalectrijo in the place of our old friend Casuarius. If 

 the present author is aiming at being a purist in zoological 

 nomenclature he might, at least, have used Ortalis in place of 

 the incorrect (accusative) form Ortalida. 



