84 
ZOOLOGICAL LITERATURE. 
the mode of taking them (pp. 73-74) and their utility (pp. 75-80) . 
Then follows (3) the treatise on their geographical distribution 
both horizontally and vertically (pp. 81-114), which (as just 
said) we noticed last year, after which the author treats (4) of 
their talent for wit {Geistesanlagen) (pp. 115-129), and (5) of 
their form and external structure, in which are considered at 
greater or less length the bill (pp. 130-140) and (when it exists) 
the bare skin (p. 140), the wings (pp. 140-145), the tail (pp. 
145-147), and, finally, the feet (pp. 147, 148). To this succeeds 
(6) an account oft the feathers, comprising the pterylography 
(pp. 149, 150), forms of the feathers (pp. 151-153), their colour- 
ing (pp. 153-158), moulting and changes (pp. 159-166), and 
variation (pp. 166-170). • The next division of the work (7) is 
devoted to anatomy, including splanchnology (pp. 171-182) and 
osteology (pp. 182-211), with a plate representing the skeleton 
of Psittacus erithacus and the skulls of Plictolophus sulphureus 
and Puphema pulchella\ and an essay on their systematic arrange- 
ment (8), followed by a list of genera and species, concludes the 
first part of the work. 
The second part of the work, treating of the special natural 
history of the group, contains descriptions of the genera and 
species of Btringops, Callipsittacus, Plictolophus, Nasiterna, 
Calyptorrhynchus , Microglossus, Sittace, Henicognathus, and 
Conurus, with which this volume ends. 
The number of species of Parrots described has been more 
than doubled since Waglerin 1832 published his / Monograp hie 
Psittacorum^*; and as the number of works that have appeared 
in the interim have been very numerous and at the same time 
scattered, it seemed advisable to tlie author to colleet in the pre- 
sent monograph all the information bearing on the subjeet that 
could be obtained, lie has had the advantage of working chiefiy 
on the rich material afibrded by the Leyden Museum, besides 
that offered by the still richer (in species) British Museum. He 
has also enjoyed remarkable facilities in consulting types in vari- 
ous other collections both private and public ; so that of the 350 
species recognized and enumerated by him, there are only 20 
which he has not himself examined, and of these 8 are possibly 
not good ones, viz. Sittace leari, Dasyptilus fulgidus, Chrysotis 
erythrura, C. bouqueti, Psittacula swindereni, Domicella stavorinii, 
D. cai'dinalis, and Nestor norfolciensis. He intends to add an 
appendix, ineluding 41 still doubtful species. Only one speeies 
{Bolborrhynchus luchsi) will be described as entirely new ; but 
virtually three or four others may be so eonsidered from their 
having been confounded with their allies. V ery numerous and 
careful details are constantly given with respect to the colours of 
the soft parts (chiefly derived from living birds in the Zoological 
Gardens of London and Amsterdam), and measurements. In 
* Abhandl. mathem.-pliysik. Classe k. bayer. Acad. Wissenah. Band i. 
