173 
and forthcoming Bird-Books. 
the life-like portraits of our feathered favourites with which 
Mr. Gould has here presented us, and which cannot fail to 
interest a large number of the wealthy and educated class of 
the community in the study of British birds. 
Mr. Dresser proceeds rapidly with the f Birds of Europe/ 
of which, since the defection of Mr. Sharpe, he has the sole 
control. The 25th part of this work is now before us, and 
rivals those that preceded it in the interest of its contents. 
There can be no question as to the vast amount of labour 
bestowed upon its production, nor as to its great superiority 
as regards solid information over every previous work upon 
the subject. The minute attention paid to range and varia¬ 
tion particularly commends it to the scientific naturalist. 
We see, however, with some concern that the author has fallen 
a victim to the prevailing epidemic for discovering antiquated 
names and giving them precedence over those generally in use. 
The nomenclature of even the great Linnaeus himself, in our 
eyes far too sacred to be tampered with, is in some cases ruth¬ 
lessly supplanted; witness the wonderful generic term Mr. 
Dresser has adopted for the Spoonbill. Nothing can be more 
satisfactory than the way in which Mr. Dresser has worked 
out some of the difficult members of the genus Saxicola in 
his last number; nothing can be less satisfactory than the 
changes he has proposed to introduce into the names of some 
of the best-known species. 
Prof. Newton's new edition of ‘YarrelPs British Birds , 
likewise moves on, though not so speedily as its quarto 
rival. Part vii., just issued, takes us through the Titmice 
into the Wagtails. Great difficulties occur in both these 
groups, which the author has surmounted in his usual judi¬ 
cious manner. Parus britannicus is discreetly left among 
those forms in which specific differentiation has not been 
entirely established,” and our old friend Parus ater put back 
into his proper place in the British list. Hurrah for the con¬ 
servative reaction ! In the case of the Wagtails Motacilla yar - 
relli is kept distinct from M. alba, but conclusively shown to 
be the true M. lugubris of Temminck, which name is adopted 
for it. 
It might have been supposed that three such books on one 
