i6z 
Recent Literature. 
[July 
with pleasure by many who have feared the fatality which seems to pre- 
vent most authors from reaching the Water Birds. But despite some inter- 
ruptions feelingly alluded to in the introduction, Dr. Coues has gone 
bravely on with the task of “editing” Mr. Stearns’s manuscript, and the 
finished work, now complete in two volumes, is the gratifying result. 
Much that we said — whether of praise or censure — in our extended 
review of Part I will apply equally well to Part II ; hence the present task 
is materially lightened. 
Part II takes up the subject with the Non-oscine Passe res, and carries 
it through the remaining Land Birds and all the Water Birds, thus com- 
pleting the treatise. It embraces 409 pages, of which 7 are devoted to 
an index of the second volume only, and 6 to an introduction of more 
general character. The main body of Part II comprises some 390 
pages, or about 120 more than the corresponding portion of Part I. 
Despite this fact, the biographies, as a rule, are rather briefer than in 
Part I, the large number of species remaining to be treated rendering 
strict condensation necessary to bring the volume within its assigned 
limits. Still the habits, distribution, etc., of many of the birds — espec- 
ially the more interesting ones — are usually sufficiently elaborated to 
accord with the general plan of the work, and the records relating to the 
rarer kinds are almost always exhaustively collated. The bringing to- 
gether of these records — in connection with which the editor acknowedges 
his continued indebtedness to Mr. Purdie’s researches — is one of the 
most prominent, as it certainly is one of the most valuable features of 
the book. 
We are glad to notice an increased conservatism on the part of the 
editor in applying dubious or incomplete data to the determination of the 
comparative abundance and seasonal distribution of the less-known birds. 
In fact, throughout the first portion of the volume the evidence seems to 
have been weighed with sound judgment, and, in the main, with unim- 
peachable accuracy. But among the Water Birds there are rather fre- 
quent evidences of hasty, and often positively incorrect conclusions. At 
least we venture to assert that no intelligent sportsman or collector 
who has had an extensive experience on our shores or waters will agree 
to the following rulings : — 
(1) That the Golden Plover regularly makes even a “flying visit” to 
New England in the spring. 
(2) That the Willet is one of the “species .... which regularly and 
plentifully summer in some portion of New England.” 
(3) That the Gadwall Duck occurs “during the migrations with some 
regularity,” or that it “very probably breeds in the swamps of Maine.” 
(4) That the Blue-winged Teal is less numerous than the Green- 
winged Teal. 
(5) That the Harlequin Duck is only “an extremely rare winter visitor” 
to New England. 
(6) That the Ring-bill is a “common winter Gull.” 
(7) That either the Leach’s and Wilson’s Petrels, or the Greater and 
Sooty Shearwaters, are regularly found off our coast in -winter. 
