78 
Recent Literature. 
Owls ( Striges ) are all referred to the family Bubonidce, except the genera 
Strix and Phodilus, which alone constitute the family Strigidce. 
Mr. Sharpe gives the number of species of the Diurnal Birds of Prey as 
three hundred and seventy-seven, of which twenty-there are regarded as 
doubtful. Of the remainder three hundred and twenty-five are repre- 
sented in the collection of the British Museum, the total number of 
specimens falling little short of twenty-five hundred. 
Kespecting the North American species, it may be noted that our com- 
mon Rough-legged Hawk is considered as specifically distinct from the 
European, the two bearing the names respectively of Archibuteo sanctijo- 
hannis and A. lagopus. The Golden Eagles ( Aquila chrysaetus ), the Pere- 
grine Falcons ( Falco communis'), and the Fish-Hawks ( Pandion haliaetus), 
on the other hand, are regarded as identical. The generic term Cerchneis 
(Boie, 1826) is adopted for the Sparrow-Hawks, of which several of Mr. 
Ridgway’s varieties are raised to the rank of species. 
Of the Owls, about one hundred and ninety species are recognized, of 
which ten are regarded as doubtful. They are represented in the British 
Museum by about eleven hundred specimens. The Snowy Owl ( Nyctea 
scandiaca ) of North America, contrary to the opinion of some American 
writers, is held to be identical with that of Europe, the two being con- 
sidered as not separable even as races, Mr. Sharpe being unable to appre- 
ciate any differences of color, but admitting a slight difference in the amount 
of feathering of the toes. The Long-eared Owls (for which the generic 
name'*Asio, Brisson, 1766, is adopted) of America and Europe he admits 
as subspecies of a circumpolar a Asio otus .” The nearly cosmopolite 
Short-eared Owl (called “ Asio accipitrinus ”) he divides into several races 
or subspecies, of which the American (its habitat including both North 
and South America) forms “ /3. Asio cassini .” Richardson’s Owl is re- 
garded as identical with the European Tengmalm’s Owl {Nyctale tengmal- 
mi). Of the Barn-Owls ( Strix flammed), while recognizing a number of 
“ striking forms,” he says : “ My conclusion with regard to the Barn Owls 
is, that there is one dominant type which prevails generally over the con- 
tinents of the Old and New Worlds, being darker or lighter according 
to different localities, but possessing no distinctive specific characters. 
Insular birds vary, but cannot be specifically distinguished, as they can 
always be approached by continental specimens in a large series.” 
In the third volume Mr. Sharpe enters upon the great series of Passerine 
Birds, of which he here treats the families Corvidce, Paradiseidce, Cmolidce, 
Dicruridce, and Prionopidce , which he unites to form the group Coliomor- 
phce, equal to the Coliomorphce of Sundevall, with some genera added and 
others excluded. The species here described by Mr. Sharpe number three 
hundred and sixty-seven, all but about fifty of which are represented in 
the British Museum, the number of specimens being a little over two 
thousand. Of these four families the Corvidce, or Crows and Jays, are 
alone represented in America, the others being mainly African, Indian, and 
