Recent Literature . 
[April 
IO4 
already quoted. On page 318, in “ Monticola cyanus sol it aria ” is an ex- 
ample of trinomial nomenclature pure and simple, but we fear only by 
the accidental omission of the hyphen between the second and third 
names. 
We are glad, however, to see even any progressive steps on the part of 
our English friends to meet the difficulties cast in their way by large series I 
of specimens from wide areas, but fear they do not as yet fully realize 
their extent, or perceive the simplest and most logical way of giving “a ; 
handle to their facts” by means of nomenclature. Wide-ranging species 
will be found to present, in most cases at least, well-marked local forms, 
connected insensibly by forms less differentiated from the intermediate a 
areas, as soon as large series of specimens shall be brought together from 
over a wide area — in other words, that many forms which have for a long 
time passed current as species will be found to insensibly intergrade. In 
view of this it seems best to let the earliest name applied to any form of a 
given species stand for the whole group, and indicate such local races as 1 
seem entitled to recognition in nomenclature bj' a third term. Species I 
would thus be distinguished bv a binomial title and subspecies by a trino- 
mial one, simply by dropping, by common consent, and for the sake of 
simplicity and conciseness, the understood connective, “subsp.” or “var.” 
By these remarks on the nomenclature of the volume we by no means 
intend any serious disparagement of Mr. Seebohm’s work, or to set our- j 
selves up as a lawgiver in such matters ; on the contrary we admire most 
heartily his thorough treatment of the subject in hand and the philosophic 
spirit in which he has approached his task. The general student of ornith- 
ology, we are sure, cannot be too grateful for the excellent monograph 
he has placed at their service. 
In volume VI Mr. Sharpe treats of the “ first portion of the large family fl 
Timeliidce or Babbling Thrushes, a group which is largely represented in 
the Old World, but contains only a few members in the American conti- 
nents. Five subfamilies have been described in the present volume, viz : 
the Bulbuls, the Wrens, the Mocking Thrushes, the Solitaires, and the 
Bower-birds. The total number of species enumerated is 407 ; and of 
these the Museum possesses 315” (p. vi). In style of treatment the vol- 
ume agrees closely with the first four volumes of the series by the same 
author. The Bulbuls (subfamily Brachyfiodinee) , all Old World types, 
number 175 species, arranged in 27 genera, the largest genus, Pycnonotus , 
including 36 species. The subfamily Troglodytince next follows, and 
contains 18 genera and 155 species, 113 of which are American. Thryo- 
thorus has 32 species, Thryophilus 17, and Camfiylorkynchus 22. Of true 
Wrens only one genus, Anorthura , is common to both the Old and the 
New World. The Dippers (genus Cinclus ), however, are associated with 
the Wrens as the last genus of the subfamily. The New World subfamily 1 
Mimince , or Mocking Thrushes, numbers 12 genera and 47 species. The 
small American subfamily Myiadectinee , or Solitaires, numbers 3 genera 
and 14 species. The small subfamily Ptilonorhynchince (Bower-birds) 
contains 6 genera and 15 species, confined to Australia and the Papuan 
group of islands. 
