378 Bibliographical Notices. 



University. Attached to the ; Catalogue ? is a supplement or list 

 showing the sources whence the specimens (ahout 6000 in number) 

 were obtained. Such a work will greatly enhance the value of this 

 collection, to which it forms an almost exhaustive guide ; and as such 

 it will doubtless be warmly welcomed by most working ornitholo- 

 gists. Appended to each species is the reference to its original 

 description and to works containing its geographical distribution ; 

 but we think that the value and interest of the ' Catalogue ? would 

 have been considerably increased if* the latter item had been briefly 

 sketched out in a similar manner to that in the British-Museum 

 Catalogues of Birds. The general arrangement adopted, subject to 

 certain necessary modifications and additions, is that elaborated by 

 Messrs. Sclater and Salvin in their ' Nomenclator Avium Neotropi- 

 calium,' which has for its basis the system of Huxley. 



In the earlier portions of the work (the only ones at present we 

 have had the opportunity of carefully examining) we notice that 

 Mr. Salvin does not admit the distinctness of Tardus mageUanicus 

 from Tardus faVdandicus. The latter bird is, we believe, an island 

 form confined to the Falklands, whilst the former is found in 

 various parts of South America. Again, we fail to see why the 

 genus Merula should be disregarded when the genera Oreocinda, 

 GeocicJila, Petrocinda, and Zoothera are recognized. The name 

 Oreoclnda Heinii of Cabanis surely has the precedence over that of 

 0. iodura of Gould, although the former naturalist erroneously gave 

 " Japan " as the locality for his species. We also notice that Mr. 

 Salvin (following Messrs. Blanford and Dresser in their celebrated 

 ' Monograph of the Chats ') makes the Saxkola lexicon tela of Pallas 

 synonymous with the Scuvieola lugens of Lichtcnstein, although 

 these two birds are quite distinct. Again, upon what grounds is 

 Cetti's "Warbler included in the subfamilv liuticillmse ? Mr, Salvin 

 also makes this bird synonymous with the Brady pterus platurus 

 (? plat yarns) of Swainson. The type of this species (from S. Africa) 

 is in the Cambridge Museum, and" was identified as " nothing but 

 Cetti's Warbler " by Mr. Dresser in his 4 Birds of Europe,'' a con- 

 clusion shown to be totally erroneous by Mr. Seebohm in ' The 

 Ibis' for 187S, p. 380, Swainson's generic name will stand for 

 this South-African species ; but his specific name must give place 

 (if the law of priority is enforced) to that bestowed by Yieillot ; and 

 it will consequently stand as Bradypterm brachypterus (Vieill.). 

 Moreover Cettrs Warbler has no claim whatever to be included in 

 the genus Bradypterus, nor has it the slightest claim to such a 

 generic title. The type of this genus (B. brachypterus) has twelve 

 tail-feathers, whereas the group of Warblers amongst which Cetti's 



Warbler is included (Cettia) is distinguished by having only ten 

 tail-feathers. 



We must also strongly protest against the changing of many well- 

 known names — names familiar to us from our childhood — of such 

 birds as the Garden- Warbler, the Whitethroat, the Dart-ford 

 Warbler, the Eeed- Warblers, and the Chiffchaft; and substituting 

 for them unknown synonyms raked up from a just uid well-merited 





