232 



Recent Literature. [October 



TuRisiER ON Lagopus mutus AND ITS VARIETIES.* — The author be- 

 lieves, as held by many authors, that the "European birds mutus and 

 alpinus" constitute "but a single species having the name Lagopus 7nutus 

 Leach, while the American bird may be recognized as a fairly definable 

 rnce to he caW&A Lagopus tnutus rupestr is (Gm.) Ridg. Four races are 

 recognized, as follows : i. Lagopus mutus, Europe; 2. L. mutus rupes- 

 /r/5, Arctic America ; 3. L. mutus reiukardti, Greenland and Labrador; 

 4. L. mutus atkketisis, Atkha Islai d, Aleutian Chain. The author states 

 that during the time of the summer plumage scarcely a day passes without 

 the general color of the plumage varying by the appearance or loss of 

 some feather, and that it is scarcely possible to find two birds of the same 

 sex, age, and locality which do not differ to an appreciable degree in color. 

 Detailed descriptions and measurements are given of a considerable num- 

 ber of specimens of each race. — J. A. A. 



Reichenow's "Die Vogel der Zoologischen Garten."! — Dr. Reich- 

 enow's handbook for bird-keepers is designed to furnish bird-lovers who 

 ai-e not ornithologists with the means of readily identifying such species 

 as are kept in zoological gai-dens, parks, and aviaries^ and seems to be 

 well adapted to that end. The first part, recently issued, treats of 693 

 species, 235 genera, and 45 families, belonging to the 11 "orders" Brevi- 

 pennes, Urinatores, Longipennes, Steganopodes, Lamellirostres, Cursores, 

 Gressores, Gyrajites, Crypturi, Rasores, and Raptatores. Concise diag- 

 noses are given, not only of the species and genera, but of the higher 

 groups, and English and French, as well as German, vernacular names 

 are supplied for the species. No synonyms are cited, even in cases where 

 the names preferred by the author are not those most generally in use, 

 nor on their bibliographical references. In the introduction the author 

 gives a "Vogel-Stammbaum," in illustration of his views of the relation- 

 ship of the various groups of birds, which he divides first into 7 Series 

 ("Reihen"), and these into [6 orders, with apparently about 100 families. 

 As a popular handbook for German readers of birds kept in parks and 

 , aviaries the work seems worthy of generous commendation. — J. A. A. 



Reichenow's "Die Entenvogel der Zoologischen Garten." j — 

 In a paper of i6 quarto pages Dr. Reichenow enumerates the species of 

 Lamellirostres (^AnatidcB and Palamedeidce), giving brief diagnoses of the 

 species kept in zoological gardens, and the characters of the genera sub- 

 genera and higher groups, prepared in the interest of practical bird-keep- 

 ers. — J. A. A. 



* On Lagopus mutus, Leach, and its Allies. By Lucien M. Turner. Proc. U. S. 

 Nat. Mus., 1882, pp. 225- , July 29, 1882. 



t Die Vogel der Zoologischen Garten. Leitfaden zum Studium der Ornithologie mit 

 besonderer Beriicksichtigung der in Gefangenschaft gehaltenen Vogel. Ein Handbuch 

 fiir Vogelwirthe. Von Dr. Ant. Reichenow. In zwei Theilen. [Theil I.] Leipzig, 

 1882, 8vo. pp. XXX + 278. 



J Die Entenvogel der Zoologischen Garten. Von Ant. Reichenow. Ornithologisches 

 Centralblatt, VII Jahrg., Nos. 1-6. Jan.-May, 1882, pp. 1-5, 17-23, 35-40. 



