312 Recent Literature. [ May, 
and to demand even higher praise, while the descriptions of all 
the species introduced, with the generally more thorough man- — 
ner of treatment, gives to the present book a far wider sphere of 
usefulness. 
It is rarely given to one individual to wield the pen of the exact 
scientific writer and, in addition, to possess the light touch, the 
Dr. Coues’ writings. It is due to this more than anything else 
that our author enjoys such a widespread popularity, since not 
only do such books as the present have an acknowledged value 
to the working ornithologist, but their popular element renders 
them acceptable to a large circle to whom ordinary ornithological 
treatises possess little or no interest. 
notice, in passing, in not a few instances that Dr. Coues has 
done good service in supplying vernacular names to birds 
hitherto christened in Latin, and in replacing inappropriate or 
positively objectionable appellations by others of his own coin- 
ing. In most cases his selections are apt and well chosen. In 
others they cannot be so strongly endorsed, as, for instance, 
when he imports the term “ Accentor” from the continent and 
applies it to our water thrushes. Its original application was to 
a group of birds of very different character, and hence the same 
argument against it applies that has very properly been given 
weight in other instances, as the robin, quail, partridge and 
others, which names, as attached to our birds have no proper 
significance, to say nothing of, the fact that our bird’s familiar 
name of water thrush is sufficiently appropriate and descriptive. 
The use of Bartramian names in a number of instances wil 
probably not find favor in the eyes of some ornithologists. But 
ere there is ground for honest differences of opinion, and the 
discrimination for or against their use, at least in certain of them, 
must be left to the judgment of each writer. 
Dr. Coues has especially laid the student of North American 
ornithology under heavy debt in two particulars, first in the syn- 
onomy, and second in the bibliography of the present volume. 
Just how much is meant by the statement of a personal verifi- 
cation and settlement of synonomical points and references, and 
the amount of labor involved in such a work will probably be 
appreciated by the few workers in the same field—and the para- 
graphs, amounting in certain instances to pages of fine type, 
which precede each description, will probably be passed over by 
the general reader entirely unnoticed, or with a mere glance of 
wonder as to their purpose. 
' The closet worker, however, will here find much matter to be 
grateful for, and in consequence of the thorough manner in which 
it is here presented, will be saved many an hour of painstaking 
search in musty and uninviting old volumes. The collection of 
