Recent Literature. 
45 
of course be rejected by all who do not consider the membrane and car- 
tilage bones of the skull to be from the same source. The use of “hyoid 
arch” when speaking of all the tongue bones is, we think, liable to lead 
many young students astray; we would suggest “hyobranchial arches,” or 
“hyoid arches.” 
A point of considerable interest is a small ossicle which occurs at the 
inner side of the II metacarpal — III metacarpal of Dr. Shufeldt’s homolo- 
gies of the hand — near its base. This bone is compared to the pisiform 
bone of the Mammalia by the author. Besides this, two proximal and 
two distal carpal bones are found, just as in the chick. Thus the chick 
and the young Centrocercus have the same structure of the hand except 
the presence of a IV metacarpus in the first and a “pisiform” in the 
second. We notice that the “index” is described as being composed of 
only one phalanx ; this we believe to be an oversight of the author ; at all 
events most of the European Gallinae have two phalanges, the last one 
bearing a claw. On reference to fig. 57 it will be seen that the distal end 
of the first phalanx in Centrocercus is very large and looks as if there 
should be another joint. As regards the tarsus, Dr. Shufeldt has been 
able to demonstrate the existence of a fibulare, tibiale, and intermedium, 
which ultimately become anchylosed with the tibia. Dr. Shufeldt also 
states that as a whole the different parts of this skeleton in Centrocercus 
are slow to anchylo.se, thus rendering the bird an extremely favorable one 
for the study of the separate elements of the skeleton. 
The description of the osteology of Lanius ludovicianus excub it or ides , * 
by the same author., is short, concise, and may be summed up in the state- 
ment that the skeleton of this bird is strictly Passerine. — J. Amory 
Jeffries. 
Illustrations of Ohio Nests and Eggs.J — We are glad to record 
the progress of this great work, of which we have had former occasions 
to speak so highly. The ninth fascicle is the last which has reached us, 
carrying the number of plates to twenty-seven, each with its sheet or so 
of letter-press. The high standard of the work is on the whole maintained, 
although, to our eye at least, the plates lack somewhat of the peculiar 
attractiveness that the earlier ones. had for us. It may, however, be only 
the charm of novelty that we miss ; and there is certainly no falling off in 
the conscientious endeavor to ynite fidelity to nature with artistic excellence 
in depicting these beautiful objects. Should the project be carried to com- 
pletion, the work will certainly become a standard of reference. It de- 
serves to be better known and more widely circulated than it appears thus 
far to have becomd, and we trust that time will serve to make its merit 
fully appreciated. 
* Osteology of Lanius ludovicianus excubitorides. By Dr. R. W. Shufeldt, U. S. A. 
Bull. U. S. Geol. and Geog. Surv. Territories, VoL VI, No. 2, pp. 351-359, pi. XIV. 
f Illustrations of the Nests and Eggs of the Birds of Ohio. Part VIII, April, i88i> 
Part IX, July , 1881. Pll. xxii-xxvii. fol. 
