516 Recent Literature. [ August, 
tion he has to offer. These are all such desirable points that their 
faithful observance throughout the work cannot fail of good 
result. 
The present Part treats of about a dozen species of Turdide. 
We doubt that it is a fair sample of what the whole work will be, 
as we presume the author will improve as he settles more closely 
to his task; yet the standard here attained is high, fully warrant- 
ing what we have already said. The appearance of the work is — 
attractive, and the mechanical execution good, with one excep- 
tion: the references to the plates are insufficiently explicit, or 
rather not prominent enough. It is impossible to number or let- 
ter plates too plainly, or make the textual references too conspicu- 
ous. We venture to suggest to the author, that, at the risk of 
typographical difformity in succeeding parts, the full reference to 
the plate and figure be made a conspicuous part of each species- 
heading; and to the publisher we further recommend that the 
lettering of the plates be bolder. As Allen recently said, in sub- 
stance, in the Nuttall Bulletin, the names of the species the eggs 
of which are figured, might be advantageously substituted for the 
legend now usurping a place at the bottom of the plates; and 
this running title be transferred to the right hand top corner. 
There is one grave defect of the work that we cannot suffer to 
pass unrebuked. There is nothing to show whether Part I was 
published in March, 1879, as happens to be the case, or in some 
other month of some other year. In giving no date, both author 
and publisher, they and their book, run their chances of being 
mentally consigned by some irate bibliographer of the future to 
a less desirable place than a niche in the temple of posthumous 
ame. e are personally cognizant of various persons who have 
already, in fact, met with a fate so deplorable, on this very 
account. 
It remains to speak of the execution of the plates, briefly, for 
the less said the better, unless it should stimulate the artist and 
publisher to renewed exertion to bring the drawing, shading and 
coloring of the figures nearer the standard of excellence required 
for the fit illustration of so admirable a treatise as the “ Nests an 
Eggs of American Birds ” aspires and promises to be.— £. C. 
Texan ORNITHOLOGY.—After lying fallow for some years, the 
field of ornithology along our south-western frontier has been — 
worked over with energy and success by several competent 
observers, whose labor has resulted in adding some ¢hirty species 
to the recognized fauna of the United States, besides greatly 
enlarging the bounds of our knowledge of the life-histories © 
these and numerous other birds with which we were none too 
familiar. The name of Mr. H. W. Henshaw will instantly recur 
to one in this connection; if we remember rightly, not having 
_ the exact figures at pen-point, about half of these acquisitions | - 
ae 
