REVIEWS AND BOOK NOTICES. 
© CATALOGUE OF THE PENGUINS IN THE Museum OF THE Boston 
= Socrery or Naturat History.* — We have in this brochure of 17 
pages, the first of a series of papers on the magnificent collection 
of birds contained in the Museum of the Boston Society of Nat- 
ural History—the second in size, in respect to number of species, 
in America. The collection is particularly important as con- 
taining the types of most of the species described by La Fresnaye, P 
whose large collection of birds, gathered at a great expense, was 
_ Purchased by the late Dr. Henry Bryant, and by him generously pre- 
_ Sented to the Society. It is the aim of the Society to eventually 
publish a complete catalogue of the birds in its Museum, in a series 
of papers, treating of the different groups in a more or less revis- 
ionary or monographic manner ; and with this auspicious beginning 
itis to be hoped the work will be pushed rapidly forward. Prof. 
Hyatt briefly discusses the general affinities of the genera and spe- 
cies, and arrives at the conclusion that the larger part ‘‘ come to a 
focus in Spheniscus minor, which appears to hold a strictly inter- 
mediate position, but presents a nearer approach to the lower mem- 
bers of the genera Pygocelis, Eudyptes and Aptenodytes than to 
any other existing form.” He finds three modifications of the fam- 
ily “which presumably take place upon the basis of the organiza- 
a tion of Spheniscus,” diverging in radiating lines from S. minor, 
which is regarded as closely related to the “ancestral form.” After 
some general remarks on the structure of the feathers and other 
: es of the external anatomy, a somewhat detailed analysis of 
the genera is given, and also of the literature of the Spheniscide. 
The genera recognized are Aptenodytes, Spheniscus, Pygocelis 
and Eudyptes. The Society has specimens of nine species —ap- 
_ Patently all but one or two of the known tenable species of the 
Stoup. The synonymy is given only so far as to establish the 
ae of the species, and give reference to one or two of the best 
Published figures. Generally, remarks are added respecting the 
_.  ctive features of each, their peculiar changes and vari- 
_ “Sof plumage. 
Gage Of the Ornithological Collection in the Museum of the Boston Society 
teeny a oT: T Spheniscide, by Alpheus Hyatt. With Notes on the Osteology of 
i _A. Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. xiv, pp-17- 
AMER. NATURALIST, VOL. VI. 35 (545) 
