April 13, 1883.1 



SCIENCE. 



279 



dred and eighty-five pages), by A. W. Bray- 

 ton, is largel}' a compilation, as the author 

 states in his preface ; but it contains a consid- 

 erable number of notes upon the habits of 

 various species, the dates of extinction, etc., 

 which are original and valuable. Keys are 

 given for the families and genera discussed, ex- 

 cept in the case of the Muridae and a few other 

 groups. Forty-nine species are enumerated, 

 which are distributed as follows : Carnivora, 

 15 ; Ungulata, 3 ; Cheiroptera, 5 ; Insectivora, 

 5; Rodentia, 20; Marsupialia, 1. Of these, 

 the following species are, or are supposed to 

 be, now extinct in Ohio : the puma (Felis con- 

 color), tlie lynx (Lynx canadensis), the pine 

 marten (Mustela americana) , the wolverine 

 (Gulo luscus), the badger (Taxidea americana), 

 the wapiti (Cervus canadensis), the beaver 

 (Castor fiber) , and the bison (Bison ameri- 

 cana) . 



The paper may, perhaps, be criticised as not 

 containing sufficient information regarding the 

 distribution of species within the state, nor 

 upon such topics as food, local variation, and 

 similar topics, showing a lack of direct obser- 

 vation upon Ohio specimens. 



Dr. Wheaton's welcome report on the birds 

 covers four hundred and forty-two pages. Its 

 introductory' chapter treats of tlie physical 

 geographj- of Ohio, and some peculiarities of 

 its climate ; of latitudinal variation in birds ; 

 of the general characteristics and affinities of 

 the class Aves ; and of the arrangement and 

 definition of the orders of North-American 

 birds. Most of this matter is compiled from 

 high authorities on the several subjects. 



In the main bodj' of the work, also, the 

 technical matter is chiefl_y taken at second- 

 hand. The keys to the genera are from Dr. 

 Jordan's Manual of the vertebrates of the 

 northern United States ; the definitions of the 

 higher groups and the descriptions of species, 

 ' almost without exception or alteration,' from 

 Dr. Coues' Kej- to North American birds ; 

 and the nomenclature from Dr. Cones' Check- 

 list of 1874, ' with such modifications as 

 changes made since its publication require.' 

 The name of each species is followed by 

 ' references to all writers, whether general or 

 local, who have mentioned that species as 

 Ohioan ; ' and, in addition, the general sj'nonj-- 

 my of the species is given with sufficient 

 fulness to ' enable changes in the nomenclature 

 to be traced.' There is an appendix, also, 

 which includes a Check-list of Ohio birds, with 

 the dates of their appearance and disappear- 

 ance, as observed in the vicinitj' of Columbus ; 

 a list of the birds which have been seen in the 



author's garden, in the heart of that city ; a 

 bibliography of Ohio ornitholog}' ; an essaj' on 

 the relation between latitude and the pattern 

 of coloration in Ohio birds ; and a glossary of 

 such scientific terms as require definition. 



These technical matters have evidently been 

 treated with care, .and, in the main, wisely ; 

 but it is to the biographical portion of the 

 work that we can accord the highest praise. 

 The biographies are usually from Dr. Whea- 

 ton's own pen ; and in all such cases thej^ 

 are done in a masterly manner. The author 

 brings to his task an intense inherent love of 

 his subject, a philosophical turn of thought 

 well known to all who are familiar with his 

 writings, and a mind trained to the most con- 

 scientious regard for scientific truth and accu- 

 rac3". In addition, his writings ha^'e a literary 

 finish hj no means common in these daj's of 

 hastj' production ; while the quaintness of occa- 

 sional expressions, characteristic of a genera- 

 tion fast passing away, adds still fui'ther to 

 their charm. 



In short, while it would be possible to say 

 ungracious things about this report, we may 

 fairly characterize it, on the whole, as a work 

 of high scientific accuracy-, general as well as 

 local utilitj', and universal interest. It is a 

 pit}' that the ornithologj' of every one of the 

 United States cannot be treated in an equally 

 exhaustive and able manner. 



The report on the reptiles and amphibians, 

 hy Dr. W. H. Smith, alreadj' favorabl}- known 

 to herpetologists as the author of a systematic 

 review of the Urodela and ,Coecilia, occupies 

 more than one hundred pages. Thirt3--se's'en 

 reptiles and twent^'-three batrachians are de- 

 scribed as native in Ohio, and numerous oxtra- 

 limital forms are discussed. In general, the 

 report seems worth}- of high i^raise. The 

 technical descriptions are pertinent, and the 

 accounts given of the habits and peculiarities 

 of the different species are full and interesting. 

 Of many of the species mentioned, there is 

 no be.tter account extant. In view of the con- 

 fused and unsifted condition of the synonj-my 

 of American reptiles, the value of the quo- 

 tations would have been increased by the 

 citation of works as well as authors. We 

 notice a few unexplained, though perhaps 

 justifiable, deviations from current classifica- 

 tion ; as, for example, the reference of Kenni- 

 cott's ' Regina Kirtlandi ' to Regina rather than 

 to Tropidoclonium. There are also a few 

 unnecessary' violations of the law of priority 

 in the nomenclature adopted ; as in the reten- 

 tion of the name ' Menobranchus,' instead of 

 the prior and now equally' familiar ' Necturus.' 



