Allen.] 414 [February 4, 
and by a very useful and carefully digested synopsis of all 
the birds at that time known as North American: 
In 1857 was published the first part of his “ North Ameri- 
can Odlogy,” which forms part of volume 1x of the “ Smith- 
sonian Contributions to Knowledge.” The full title of the 
work —“ North American Odlogy; being an account of the 
geographical distribution of the birds of North America dur- 
ing the breeding season, with figures and descriptions of their 
eggs ”—indicates very fairly its scope and character, but in 
addition to the topics thus indicated, the work gives a pretty 
full exposition of the breeding habits of the species treated, so 
far as then known, and also full tables of synonymy. Owing 
to the great cost of the illustrations, the work was not continued 
beyond the first part, which treats of the Birds of Prey, the 
Swifts, Swallows, Goatsuckers and Kingfishers. This work, 
until within the last year, was the only special treatise extant 
on the subject to which it relates, and will ever hold the place 
of a standard work. It is, moreover, a work which bgought 
to its author great credit, and through which he became 
widely known as an ornithologist of high standing. 
In 1874 appeared “ A History of North American Bee ” 
under the joint authorship of 8. F’. Baird, T. M. Brewer, and 
R. Ridgway, in three quarto volumes devoted to the “ Land 
Birds.” To this work the whole of the biographical part, 
forming probably two-thirds of the letterpress, was con- 
tributed by Dr. Brewer, and throughout evinces his thorough 
familiarity with the literature of the subject, and shows the 
hand of the master in all that relates to his special depart- 
ment of a work which marks an era in the history of North 
American ornithology. 
Dr. Brewer’s minor papers appeared at intervals through- 
out the long period of over forty years, and embrace import- 
ant contributions to our knowledge of American birds. 
He has left the manuscript for the completion of his share 
of the great work on North American birds already men- 
tioned, the final revision of which he had just completed ; 
