42 REVIEWS AND BOOK NOTICES. 
primaried American Sylvicolide under Sylviide.* We have little 
faith in the desirableness of associating the cuckoos with the 
woodpeckers in a group Zygodactyle, greatly preferring Huxley’s 
definition of the Coceygomorphs. In the matter of nomencla- 
ture we are not at one with the author, who goes back for his 
names to Ray, Gesner, Willoughby and Aldrovandi, to say nothing 
of the comparatively late Brisson and Moehring; but this is 
simply a matter of individual preference. Whatever “rules” 
may be made, they are only binding at our option — paraphrasing 
an old saying: inter synonyma silent leges.* 
[We take this occasion to request ornithologists to favor the 
Natvrauist with a copy of any paper they may hereafter publish ; 
intending to devote reasonable space to the respectful considera- 
tion, at the hands of our ornithological co-laborers, of such publi- 
cations.— Eps. ] 
New Encrianp OrnitnoLocy.— Mr. Maynard contributes a very 
acceptable and creditable paper, t increasing our knowledge of the 
summer northern distribution and breeding habits of many spe- 
eies of which comparatively little was before known; and gives 
good descriptions of various nests and eggs. The information 
respecting most of the land birds observed is quite full and appar- 
ently perfectly reliable. The species given number one hundred 
and sixty-four, which is probably about five-sixths of the whole 
avi-fauna of the regions explored. As the author confines himself 
to his own personal observations and those of a few gentlemen 
who have worked in the same or contiguous localities, the paper is 
ers. free from misstatements of fact, although some of the 
gener: izations seem to us somewhat overdrawn if not altogether 
hasty. We are unable to agree with Mr. Maynard respecting cer- 
~ an fyeatthers which he discusses at length. He evidently labors 
under a misapprehension (shared, we understand, by other New 
England ornithologists) regarding Empidonax Acadicus. This 
bird, which appears to be hardly known in New England, is per- 
. ” *Respecting this family we are informed by Dr. Coues that he considers it inade- 
quately distinguished from Turdide, devise the annectant vice: of the tw a sec 
and that - current Turdine, Sazicoline, R Reguline, Mi , Sylvii- 
, æ, Pycnonoline. 
m ( Sylvia, Erythacus, Accentor, Calamoherpe Paptlopuslcstiy Soati form dhe family, 
1 > to be further enlarged to o accommodate the Troglodytide and Mota- 
ie of he Birds Aes Coos Co., N. H. and Oxford Co., Me., with annotations 
breeding ha igrations, etc. By C. J. Mayn 
