ary 
States, which have been her d, with descriptions of so 
180 Recent Literature. [ March, 
very important paper by Mr. Ridgway odes the families w 
the Herodiones, and the subdivisions and génera, chiefly of the 
deide. ‘The precision of definition exhibited it in Siki paper gives it ; 
a first rank in scientific work of its kind, ‘sgt an example i 
7 
. 
worthy of imitation in all departments. observe, however, 
that the learned author thinks it necessary = employ generic 
names for groups characterized by size and color, and forms of 
feathers which are sometimes only seasonal, and sometimes very | 
slightly differentiated, a custom which is not adopted by students 
of other classes of Vertebrata. Dr. Coues furnishes interesting | 
accounts of the consolidated hoofs of movie individuals of Carta- | 
cus virginianus and Sus scropha. is conclusion regarding the | 
latter is stated in the following rather pa highly figurative lan- 
guage: “The upshot of this modification of the foot is, that a 
strictly artiodactyle animal is transformed into an imperfectly 
perissodactyle one. As far as the hoof is concerned the pig is 
completely solidungulate.” There are entomological articles by 
Messrs. Scudder, Grote and Chambers, and two palæontological 
ones by Prof. Cope. One of the latter is a reply to Prof. Owen's | 
criticism of Prof. Cope’s writings on the Pythonomorphous reptiles. 
An article by Drs. Coues and Yarrow gives useful information : 
regarding the geographical distribution of Batrachia and reptiles 
of Dakotaand Montana. But wecannotsee why the authors should 
again describe the dentition of the genus Crotatus, and the well- 
known characters of the teeth of Heterodon, which may be found in 
any of the general herpetological works. The distribution ofthe — 
Lutenia proxima is erroneously given as extending over the 
entire United States west of the eastern region. Its range is 
N. E. Mexico, Texas and part of the Mississippi Valley. 
o Books AND PAMPHLETS.—Die Ccelenteraten, Echinodermen und Wür- 
r, de . Osterreichisch- sae ayia Nordpol Expedition. Von Dr. gti Ns 
Marenzeller, Wien 1877. ie 
r God in Nat By Robert McK. Ormsby. Second Edition. New 
York. Mina Publishing her Furnishing Co. 1878. 12mo, pp. 69. 2 
Brehm’s been ase Band i as Sa 9-14 vii. 1—2. Leipzig, 1878. New York: i 
ft. 
B. sick termann & Co, 8vo a He 
welfth Annual Report o of on oe on Inland Fisheries for the year 
stabs January 1, 1878. Boston. 1878. 8vo, pp. 64. 
Proceedings of 1 the Boston Society of Natural History. Vol. xix. Part II. Boston. 
vo, pp. I 
Notes on the Meah and Petrography of Boston and vicinity. By M. Edwa ard 
Main aig (From the Proceedings of thé Boston Society of Natural oe xix.) 
vo, pp-2 
Fifth me Sixth Annual Reports of the’Curators of the Museum of Wesleyan Uni- 
vey ege aing a History of the Museum from its Formation. Middletown, Com. 
18 » PP- 
- oe of the Spee of the Telia A aman family Aphidæ, FER in et hese ae 
: By Coes Thomas, (From arpa Wo z “th State Lab. of Nat Hist.) rie i4, ; 
=- Report on the Geological and Geographical Survey of the Tens Mountain Ba 
By J. W. Powel veces a: De ae 8vo, pp. I 
