“A DICTIONARY OF BIRDS.”* 
This is the first part of a work which does not aspire to be a 
complete treatise on birds, but aims at aiding “ those who wish to 
study Ornithology in a scientific spirit as well as those many others 
who merely regard its pursuit as a pastime.” It is founded on 
articles which were written for the last edition of the “ Encyclopaedia 
Britannica” by Professor Newton; these have been revised, modified, 
and supplemented by additional articles on subjects of which they 
have special knowledge, contributed by Messrs. Gadow, Lydekker, 
Roy, and Shufeldt. All these gentlemen are of the highest rank in 
the world of biologists; their names guarantee that the present 
work combines every scientific requirement. The dictionary is, of 
course, most largely composed of descriptions of the characters, 
habits, geographical distribution, &c., of the genera and chief species 
of birds, but there are also articles on such important subjects as 
the anatomy, colour, and physiology of birds, and the biological 
problems in which these creatures play a part. A good feature of 
the work is the ample treatment of the popular and local names of 
birds ; it has of course been impossible to give every one, but all 
those in chief use will be found. Very curious are some of them, 
such as “Cape-sheep,” for the Albatross; “Coddy-Moddy,” for the 
Black-headed Gull; “ Blood-Olph,” for the Bullfinch, &c., not to 
mention the native names of foreign birds. Many of the latter, 
occurring in books of travel, are not given in the ordinary dictionaries, 
so that the general reader, even if particularly well-informed, is 
often at a loss to know what is meant. Very many such out-of-the- 
way names are given by Professor Newton, with explanations and 
etymologies of them where possible. The etymologies are very 
interesting as showing the changes in meaning which many names 
*“ A Dictionary of Birds,” by Alfred Newton, assisted by Hans Gadow, 
with Contributions from Richard Lydekker, B. A., F.G.S. ; Charles S. Roy, 
M.A.,F.R.S.; and Robert W. Shufeldt, M.D. Part I. (A—GA). London: 
Adam and Charles Black, 1893. Price 7s. 6d., net. 
September, 1893. 
