756 Recently published Ornithological Works. 
primary division of the world's surface into six Zoological 
Regions, which was put forward by Sclater in 1857 and was 
adopted by Wallace after close examination, has been entirely 
employed in the present work. Of the three authors who 
are credited with its preparation in the titlepage one is well 
known to us as a distinguished ornithologist, and it is, no 
doubt, to his intelligent activity that the laborious process of 
compiling and getting into proper order this enormous mass 
of information relating to bird-life of the world has been 
entrusted. 
Besides the discussion of the general facts of Distribution 
more than twelve pages of double columns are devoted 
to a summary of the principal facts known concerning the 
structures and ranges of the numerous“ Families ’’into which 
the Class of Birds is divided. Then follows an excellent 
“ Bibliography/’ in which the titles of all the previous works 
relating to the various branches of Zoogeography are given. 
Not only separate works are included in this useful catalogue, 
but also the principal articles on the subject contained in 
periodicals. As the titles of the works and papers are 
arranged in geographical sections, this List will greatly help 
those who wish to ascertain what has already been done 
as regards Distribution in any particular part of the 
globe. 
Lastly, we come to what is perhaps the most important part 
of the whole work—that is, the Plates. Not including those of 
a general character, the plates specially relating to “Birds” 
are nine in number. It is difficult to say much about them 
without going into details, which would be impossible on 
the present occasion. But the plates may be stated to be, 
on the whole, very satisfactory—certainly far better than 
anything that has yet been published on this extremely 
complicated subject. On the whole, ornithologists may be 
well content with the information on their particular branch 
of “ Zoogeography ” collected in the present work, and 
must thank the enterprising publishers who have brought 
it out in such first-rate style, as also the authors who have 
compiled it. 
