Recent Literature . 
[January 
5 6 
These recent issues fully maintain the high order of excellence to which 
we have already called attention. We trust that the work is receiving 
a generous patronage. — W. B. 
A Checking-list of North American Birds. — We have received 
proofs of the Checking-list advertised by Messrs. Southwick and Jencks in 
the present number of this Bulletin. It is essentially a reprint of the 
numbers and English names used in Mr. Ridgway’s late Nomenclature of 
North American Birds, with the addition of species and varieties since 
described or found within our limits. Everyone who has made extensive 
exchanges knows what a task it is to write out the necessary lists of dupli- 
cates and desiderata, while the alternative of using a list of numbers 
corresponding with those of one of the standard check-lists, is, if any- 
thing, worse. The present list is designed to remedy both evils. It is to 
be printed in small type and will occupy only two sheets of thin paper. 
We are sorry to see that the scientific names have been omitted, but 
this, doubtless, was unavoidable in the preparation of a sheet that is to be 
sold for two cents, nor is their absence likely to be regretted by the class 
of persons for whom the list is presumably intended. — W. B. 
Shufeldt’s Contributions to the Anatomy of Birds.* — This 
paper reaches us too late for anything but the briefest notice. It includes 
chapters on the osteology of Speotyto cunincularia hypogcea , Eremofihila 
alfiestris, the North American Tetraonidce , and the Cathartidce. These 
subjects have been already treated by Dr. Shufeldt in previous papers, 
upon which the present work is evidently based ; but its subject-matter has 
been largely, if not entirely rewritten, and some unfortunate errors con- 
tained in earlier issues corrected. The text is illustrated by numerous 
wood-cuts, some of which are apparently new, while others will be recog- 
nized by those who are at all familiar with the “History of North American 
Birds.” The presence of these figures in a work on osteology seems to 
us about as appropriate as would be that of illustrations of the character- 
istic scenes frequented by the birds under discussion. Such a stricture, 
however, will not apply to the full-page lithographs by Sinclair & Son, 
for these acceptably present the crania and other osteological character- 
istics of the species treated. The paper on the Cathartidce with its 
accompanying plates, is entirely new matter. — W. B. 
* Contributions to the Anatomy of Birds. By R. W. Shufeldt, M. D., Captain, Med- 
ical Department, U. S. A., member of the Philosophical, Anthropological, and Biologi- 
cal Societies of Washington, Honorary Curator of the Section of Avian Osteology of 
the Smithsonian Institution. Twelfth Ann. Rep. U. S. Geol. and Geog. Surv., F. V. 
Hayden, U. S. Geologist-in- charge. 1882, pp. 593-806. Plates I to XXIV. Cuts in text. 
