J ^2 Recent Literature. [J"ly 



with pleasure by many who have feared the fatality which seems to pre- 

 vent most authors from reaching the Water Birds. But despite some inter- 

 ruptions feelingly alluded to in the introduction, Dr. Coues has gone 

 bravely on with the task of "editing" Mr. Stearns's manuscript, and the 

 finished work, now complete in two volumes, is the gratifying result. 



Much that we said — whether of praise or censure — in our extended 

 review of Part I will apply equally well to Part II ; hence the present task 

 is materially lightened. 



Part II takes up the subject with the Non-oscine Passeres, and carries 

 it through the remaining Land Birds and all the Water Birds, thus com- 

 pleting the treatise. It embraces 409 pages, of which 7 are devoted to 

 an index of the second volume only, and 6 to an introduction of more 

 general character. The main body of Part II comprises some 390 

 pages, or about 120 more than the corresponding portion of Part I. 

 Despite this fact, the biographies, as a rule, are rather briefer than in 

 Part I, the large number of species remaining to be treated rendering 

 strict condensation necessary to bring the volume within its assigned 

 limits. Still the habits, distribution, etc., of many of the birds — espec- 

 ially the more interesting ones — are usually sufficiently elaborated to 

 accord with the general plan of the work, and the records relating to the 

 rarer kinds are almost always exhaustively collated. The bringing to- 

 gether of these records — in connection with which the editor acknowedges 

 his continued indebtedness to Mr. Purdie's researches — is one of the 

 most prominent, as it certainly is one of the most valuable features of 

 the book. 



We are glad to notice an increased conservatism on the part of the 

 editor in applying dubious or incomplete data to the determination of the 

 comparative abundance and seasonal distribution of the less-known birds. 

 In fact, thi-oughout the first portion of the volume the evidence seems to 

 have been weighed with sound judgment, and, in the main, with unim- 

 peachable accuracy. But among the Water Birds there are rather fre- 

 quent evidences of hasty, and often positively incorrect conclusions. At 

 least we venture to assert that no intelligent sportsman or collector 

 who has had an extensive expei-ience on our shores or waters will agree 

 to the following rulings : — • 



(i) That the Golden Plover regularly makes even a "flying visit" to 

 New England in the sprmg. 



(2) That the Willet is one of the "species .... which regularly and 

 plentifully summer in some portion of New England." 



(3) That the Gadwall Duck occurs "during the migrations with some 

 regularit}'," or that it "very probablj- breeds in the swamps of Maine." 



(4) That the Blue-winged Teal is less numerous than the Green- 

 winged Teal. 



(5) That the Harlequin Duck is o?ily "an extremely rare winter visitor" 

 to New England. 



(6) That the Ring-bill is a "common winter Gull." 



(7) That either the Leach's and Wilson's Petrels, or the Greater and 

 Sooty Shearwaters, are regularly found oif our coast in xvinter. 



