12 
WARD’S NATURAL SCIENCE BULLETIN. 
The Cones’ Check List of North American 
Birds. 
Second edition, revised to date and entirely re- 
written under direction of the author, with a 
dictionary of the etymology, orthography and 
orthoepy of the scientific names, the concord- 
ance of previous lists, and a catalogue of his 
ornithological publications. Boston : Estes & 
Lauriat. 1882. 
It “ goes without saying,” that any work from 
the pen of Dr. Coues is bound to be good, and 
although lack of time has prevented us from 
examining this hook as carefully as we could 
have wished, yet we see no reason to change that 
opinion. The plan of the work, as indicated by 
the title, is to give a complete list of North 
American birds, together with the correct pro- 
nunciation and derivation of their accepted sci- 
entific names. The value of this list is greatly 
enhanced by the fact that each species enumer- 
ated is referred to its corresponding numbers in 
the lists of Baird, Coues and Ridgway. All who 
have occasion to use lists of North American 
birds will appreciate this. 
For his attempt to improve the pronunciation 
of the scientific names, Dr. Coues deserves our 
sincere thanks, and he is the first to place the 
means of acquiring this desirable correctness 
within the reach of all. Unfortunately, we can- 
not all have a classical education, and" too often 
in our high schools where Latin is taught, proper 
pronunciation is sadly slighted. The portion 
containing the derivation of the scientific names 
contains much interesting and instructive read- 
ing, although it seems to us that the author is at 
times inclined to be just a little hypercritical. 
For example, in speaking of the whooping swan 
— Cygnus musicus — he says, “ musicus , relating to 
a muse, any one of the muses; hence ‘ music’ is 
primarily and most properly to be predicated of 
high ideals in general. * * * The term 
musicus, however, as applied to a swan, is a zucus 
a non lucendo , unless a relationship between the 
muses and the graces be imagined.” Why not 
say that while “music” may have been prima- 
rily applied to any high ideal, yet musicus in its 
commonly accepted definition relates to music, 
and that Cygnus musicus is the musical swan, in 
contradistinction from G. olor, the mute swan? 
Occasionally, too, the explanations are a little 
unsatisfactory. Thus we are told that it is diffi- 
cult to see wherein the specific name loculator 
applies to the Wood Ibis, but are not enlightened 
as to why Tantalus is any more appropriate as a 
generic name. 
Under Glaucidium we are told that all names 
compounded with glaucus refer to the eyes of the 
bird, while there are no blue-eyed owls. We 
offer as a suggestion, merely, that possibly glau- 
cus — bluish grey — refers to the appearance which 
many dark eyes, e. g. horse and cow, have when 
viewed in the light. Strix flammea— we suppose 
Aluco flammeus is now more correct — the Bird of 
Minerva, has black eyes which seen by daylight 
would very likely have a bluish cast. 
Limosa foecla, commonly called fecloa, might 
have been used as the text for a few remarks on 
the number of synonyms that have crept into our 
lists as the result of poor cliirography or over- 
sights of the proof reader. Those who have 
used Gray’s Hand List will recall many instances 
where such sources of error were obvious. But 
the above remarks simply show that nothing 
human is absolutely perfect, and we only wish 
that all books were as free from defects as is this 
most valuable addition to our ornithological liter- 
ature, which no ornithologist should be without. 
Pentacrinus caput-medusae. 
This exceedingly rare crinoid is especially in- 
teresting and valuable as being almost the only 
living representative of a class of animals once 
existing in immense numbers. We have been 
fortunate in obtaining several specimens of this 
unique form and can now offer them at very 
reasonable rates. , 
Price, mounted in Black Walnut case with 
sliding glass front, $15 to $50. One very large 
and absolutely perfect specimen, neatly mounted 
under glass shade, $100. 
MICROSCOPIC OBJECTS. 
I have for several years been the American 
agent for Mr. John Martin, of Maidstone, Eng- 
land, whose microscopical laboratory has long 
been known to microscopists the world over. In 
April of last year Mr. Martin died. His family 
have now sent me his entire collection of micro- 
scopic specimens, with the request that I shall 
sell them to my American clients. I give below 
an enumeration of a few of the various kinds. 
These are folded in little papers and placed in 
small pill boxes, each package containing from 
half a dozen to several score of individual speci- 
mens. The price is 10 cents per package or box. 
Hair of Moose, Hedgehog, Ornithorhyncbus. 
Dolichos frurisno. Viburnum lantana , Indian Bat, 
Barbary Deer, Elephant, Koala, Peccary. 
Skin of Elephant’s foot. Mole, Iguana. 
Hoof of Zehra, Horse, Llama, Wild Boar. 
Horn of Rhinoceros (longitudinal and trans- 
verse section), African Antelope, Cow (long, and 
transverse), Chamois, Buffalo, Goat. 
Scales of Salmon, Carp, Eel, Goldfish, Tur- 
bot, Thorax of foreign Moth, Polypodium. 
Feathers of Sky Lark, Goldfinch, Love Bird, 
Humming Bird, woodpecker. 
Spines of Hedgehog, Ophiocoma, Echinus. 
Plates of Star Fish, Elephant’s tooth, Whale- 
bone, Cuttle bone. 
Eggs of Galatliea , Abrhxus, Pale Tussock Moth, 
Butterfly, Buff Ermine Moth, Goat Moth, Choco- 
late Tip Moth, Whelk. Wings of Burnt Moth. 
Eyes of Dragon Fly, Vamessa, Pieris rapa , 
Musca domestica. 
Foramenifera from Barbadoes, Dogs Bay, Ire- 
land, Great Man’s Bay, Ireland, Dwiuish Bay. 
Chalk of Kent, Birmingham, Norwich Crag, 
Curran Island, Harbor of Porto grande, Adriatic 
coast, Mediteranean, Harbor of Bahia, Cuba. 
Infusorial Earth from Bilin, Bohemia, 
Waterford, Me. 
Diatomaceous Earth from Hanover, Isle of 
Man. “Bohemian Earth” from Tripoli, Sound- 
ings from China Sea, Chalk dust from hollow 
flint, Polycystina from Barhadoes. 
SmcuL/E of IToltenia Carpentaria, Geodia, 
Pacliymortisma, Gorgonia succinea, Algonyum 
digitatum. 
Seeds of Coculus Indicus, Antirrhinum magus, 
Stellaria botastea , Sandwort, Dandelion, Mallow, 
Orchis maculata, Amotia serpyllo folia, Anagollis 
arvensis, Claykia alba, Collomia, Verbascum , Port- 
ulacca, Pieris, Red Campion, Papaver , Grass of 
Parnassus, Heath, Bee Orchis. 
Pollen of Tulip, Yew, Evening Primrose, 
Pinus halepensis , Flowering Currant Tree, Colt’s 
Foot, Canterbury Bell, Field Pea, Dandelion, 
Borage, Violet, Wild Blue Bell, Crown Imperial. 
Mr. and Mrs. Noah in the Ark. 
“Draw near thine ear, I pray thee,” said Noah, 
as he sat. smoking his good clay pipe by the fire, 
after having fed the animals their evening meal 
and shaken up their bedding. “What would 
my lord?” replied Mrs. N., drawing near her ear, 
as commanded. Noah smoked in silence for the 
space of a minute or two, and then opened his 
mouth and spoke as follows : “I perceive by the 
indications, mother, that the storm which was 
central over the Euphrates- will move westerly to 
the Nile valley on the morrow, with areas of low 
barometer and northeasterly winds, and showery 
weather on the Arabian coast. I have been 
moved, therefore, to jettison a part of our cargo, 
fearing that our supplies will give out ere the 
floods subside. What animal thinkest thou can 
be best spared, love?” And Mrs. N. looked out 
of the window, listened a moment to the patter- 
ing drops on the roof, and replied sweetly: “The 
rain, dear.” And at the sound of her voice Noah 
wept like a child, and the animals wailed in 
unison, and there was misery unspeakable where 
all had been so calm and tranquil. 
Send for Catalogue of Foreign Eggs, just issued. 
Price 10 cents. 
MAN-EATING CROCODILES. 
It is generally supposed that all crocodiles are 
man-eaters, but this is far from being the case, 
the man-eating species being the exception. The 
salt water crocodiles ( Crocodilus porosus ) is per- 
haps the most voracious, and in the territory of 
Sarawak, in Borneo, it became such a pest that of 
late years the Government has found it necessary 
to offer a reward for their destruction. The wa- 
ters of the tidal rivers are at all times so murky 
that a person bathing at the river margin or dip 1 
ping up water, cannot see the approach of the 
scaly monsters and has no warning of their pres- 
ence until he is seized in their powerful jaws and 
dragged into the deep water to be drowned and 
devoured. So many lives were lost in this way 
that the Government finally offered a reward of 
18 cents per foot in length, up to 3 feet, and 35 
cents per foot for all which exceeded that length. 
In the year 1878, 266 crocodiles were destroyed in 
Sarawak and Samaralian rivers, for which the 
Government paid $738 in rewards. Of this 
number thirty-four exceeded ten feet in length, 
the largest measuring 13 feet 10 inches. 
W. T. H. 
In my article in last Bulletin on Osteological 
Abnormalities, I referred to some two-legged cats. 
Another instance of this kind has just been 
brought to my notice by a friend, who tells me 
that he saw in Georgia a full grown cat whose 
hind-legs were entirely lacking. The animal’s 
method of locomotion was precisely similar to that 
of the cats mentioned in the previous article. Mi- 
vart in his work, “The Cat,” mentions a specimen 
in which the fore-legs — excepting the shoulder- 
blades — were absent. He also alludes to the Malay 
Cats, whose tails are permanently kinked, owing 
to a deformity of the caudal vertebrae. During 
his recent trip Prof. Ward procured specimens 
of these in Borneo. F. A. L. 
(P. S. Prof. Burt Wilder, of Cornell Univer- 
sity, has just bought the Kink-tail Bornean Cats.) 
BULLETIN 
OF THE 
NUTTALL ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB. 
A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY, 
SEVENTH YEAR OF PUBLICATION. 
Though intended primarily as a medium of 
communication between working ornithologists, 
and consequently maintaining a high technical 
character, this Bulletin aims to be entertaining 
as well as instructive, aud contains a fair portion 
of sufficiently popular matter to suit all those 
who are interested in birds. It is mainly devoted 
to the Ornithology of North America. Being a 
general 
MAGAZINE OF ORNITHOLOGY, 
its review department promptly gives critical 
notes, not only of all American works and 
papers, but of the more important publications 
relating to Ornithology at large; while its depart- 
ment of General Notes, is rich in the experiences 
of the working ornithologists. of this country. 
Mr. j! A. ALLEN, Editor, 
Assisted by Professor S. F. Baird and Dr. 
Elliott Coues. 
Terms, $2 a year, including postage; strictly 
in advance. Back volumes at the same price. 
Single numbers 50 cents. Remittances by mail 
at the risk of the sender, unless sent by postal 
order or draft on Boston or New York. 
Address Charles F. Bachelder, Cambridge, 
Mass. 
Foreign subscribers may obtain the Bulletin 
of J. Van Yoorst & Co., Paternoster Row, 
London. 
Zoological Drawing. 
Drawings of any objects of Natural History 
for reproduction by any process, will be carefully 
executed by the subscriber, who will furnish es- 
timates on application. 
Address (care Prof. Ward) 
F. W. STAEBNER, 
Rochester, N. Y. 
