3 
has written a work on ornithology, giving a complete account of the present state 
and results of that scienee.”— The Literary Bulletin, Oct., 1872. 
“The forthcoming work of Dr. Elliott Coues on ornithology will belong dis- 
tinctively to the useful class of manuals, and be especially adapted to the require- 
ments of students, amateurs and teachers. No work of this character, profesring 
to teach ornithology to the uninitiated, and susceptible of use as a text-book in 
educational institutions, has hitherto appeared. Those with a taste for this study, 
who have been deterred from its pursuit by the difficulty of mastering the techni- 
calities in the absence of a suitable guide, will find the way made perfectly clear 
to them.”—The Golden Age, Sept. 7, 1872. 
“Dr. Coues has written an admirable book on North American Birds.”— Balté- 
more Bulletin, March 8, 1873. 
“No expense has been spared in the preparation of this volume. The woodcuts 
are So well executed they would easily pass for something better. The index is 
complete; so is the glossary.”’— Chicago Times. 
‘“Mhe descriptions are exceedingly complete and minute; the large number of 
illustrations serve to make the text more clearly understood, and the volume is a 
very valuable contribution to ornithology.”— Boston Journal, Jan. 28, 1873. 
“The book has been carefully prepared and contains a vast amount of informae 
tion. * * * Itis a book of inestimable value to the naturalist, and should be 
found im the library of every such person throughout the land.”— Boston Traveller. 
“A more clegant scientific publication than the ‘Key to North American Birds, 
just issued by this house, is not to be found.’ This work, of which Elliott Coues, 
M.D., is the author, forms a very valuable and exhaustive treatise upon the birds 
of the continent north of Mexico. The large number of plates and of woodcuts, 
renders it especially interesting, and the style of its publication is almost sump- 
tuous.”’— Boston Post. 
“Some of our distinguished men of science seem to have placed their collections 
and their suggestions at the service of Mr. Coues, but he is fundamentally an 
original explorer. Nobody can look over the beautiful book without feeling that 
the author has added to ornithology as well as furnished its North American ‘ Key.’ 
We wish we knew enough about the subject to convict him of a few mistakes. 
Having, however, great respect for specialists, we never venture to intrude an 
opinion we have not earned the right to give by special study. Itis a modest ab- 
dication of an insolent tyranny, but we make it wilh satisfaction. It would be 
cruel, perhaps, to disturb the useful superstition that notices of books are omnis- 
cient and infallible. Still, we reluctantly confess that Mr. Coues is ahead of us in 
his particular branch of knowledge, and we have submitted to the intolerable 
ignominy of learning something from him with a keen sense of pleasure. Indeed 
this ‘* Key to North American Birds” is a volume whica will attract all naturalists 
for its accuracy of description and its contributions to the work of intelligent 
classification.”— Boston Globe. 
“ And the high commendation it has received, from competent authorities in this 
country and England, is even more than justified by the accuracy of description, 
the fulness of dctail, the convenience of classification, and the admirable arrange- 
ment ofthe volume. * * ¥* Dr. Coues, still a young man, and connected with 
the United States Army, has spent a long time in obtaining the materials for his 
work; but in it industry is subordinate to tact, and art to genius. He is a born 
naturalist. Heis a close and fine observer of all natural phenomena, and were 
he wrecked on a rock in mid ocean he would commence scientific researches be- 
fore his clothes were dry. * * * And he writes as well as he observes, ina 
clear, accurate style, colorless in itself, but transmitting the native hues of the 
objects he describes. And these qualities appear in the work beiore us. to en- 
hance its value. * * * Wehave no hand-book of similar character, and none 
that occupies the place it completely fills.”— Golden Age, July 5, 1873. , 
