153 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



with the Corvidce, between which and the Thrushes he interposes 

 the Babblers, Nuthatches, Drongos, Creepers, Warblers, Shrikes, 

 Orioles, Starlings, and Flycatchers, and the Thrushes are >t 

 reached in the present volume ; the Indian Passerine fan. ,s 

 which succeed them being the Weavers, Sunbirds, Swallows, 

 Finches, Wagtails, Larks, and Pittas or Ground Thrushes. 

 From this it will be seen that considerable changes have been 

 made in the arrangement of this Order ; whether such changes 

 are for the better, we are not, without further consideration, 

 prepared to say. At first sight it is somewhat startling to find 

 the Tits constituted a subfamily (Parince) of the Corvidce ; 

 the Drongos separated from the Shrikes by the Warblers ; and 

 the Finches, Wagtails, Larks, and Pittas, interposed with other 

 families between the Swallows and Swifts, which the most recent 

 researches, by Dr. Shufeldt, have shown to be so nearly related. 



Vol. I. takes us to the end of the Sturnidce, in which family 

 we find the Mynas ; the Grackles being placed in a separate 

 family, Eulabetidce, next to the Orioles. In this volume of 544 

 pages, no less than 556 species of birds are dealt with, from 

 which it will be seen that they are very briefly treated, the more 

 so because in the same number of pages, 163 text cuts (chiefly 

 the heads of birds) have been introduced, and these of course still 

 further reduce the space at disposal. 



The plan adopted by Mr. Oates is to give the scientific name 

 of the species in clarendon type, followed by the English name 

 in italic ; a brief synonymy, with the native names if known. 

 Next the coloration and dimensions, distribution and habits, 

 the remarks under the latter head seldom occupying more than 

 half a dozen lines, often much less. 



One of the most useful features in the volume is the " Key 

 to the Species," which in most cases follows the diagnosis of 

 each genus, unless, as in the case of the genus Regulus, there is 

 but one species to be noticed. Of this genus our familiar Gold- 

 crest is the sole representative to be found in British India. We 

 should have expected to find it placed much nearer to the genus 

 Phylloscopus, considering its resemblance to such species as 

 P. proregidus, and superciliosus ; but Mr. Oates separates them 

 by interposing the Beed and Bush Warblers, Tailor-birds and 

 Fantails, whose relationship, both as regards structure and 

 habits, strikes us as being much more distant, 



