458 Recently published Ornithological Works . 
Dr. Elliott Coues 5 s * Field Ornithology 5 * is an admirable 
manual, teaching the whole duty of an ornithologist in pursuit 
6f his craft. Though the work professes to teach beginners, 
there are in its pages many suggestions of sound sense from 
which even practised hands may take some hints. The 
instructions laid down are excellent, as a whole; but at the 
risk of being called addicted to the use of a “ nasty greasy 
substance/ 5 we must say we do not share the author’s dislike 
to arsenical soap. Skins of tropical birds dressed with 
arsenical soap are certainly more pliant and less liable to 
crack than those treated with dry arsenic. Both preparations 
are probably equally efficacious in preventing the subsequent 
attacks of insects. 
As regards these pests, we must say that our ornitho¬ 
logical brethren in America are to be pitied, judging from 
a whole paragraph (p. 106) devoted to a description of the 
ravages committed by Tineidse and Dermestidse ( Dermestes 
and Anthrenus ) upon their bird-skins. Taking the destruc¬ 
tiveness of insects as his text. Dr. Coues draws, in the final 
words of this part of his book, an admirable moral. The con¬ 
stant study of skins “ is the best preventive, 55 he says, “against 
f bugs. 5 55 “ The very bugs/ 5 he adds, “ urge on our work. 55 
The second portion of f Field Ornithology 5 contains a 
check-list of the birds found in North America. 635 species 
and “ varieties 55 are included in the ornis of North America, 
amongst which are many of the latter. It may be remarked 
that in this list the new Transatlantic system of nomenclature 
is here carried to its full extent. Alas for the binominal 
system of Linnaeus, when we find that the Latin equivalent 
of the Californian Jay has to be expressed as “ Aphelocoma 
floridana , Bartram, Cabanis, variety californica, Vigors, 
Coues 55 ! A return to the nomenclature of the days of Ray 
would be a relief to this. 
Another work by the same prolific author is an account of 
the ornithology of the Prybilov Islands-j*. We believe that 
* Field Ornithology, &c. By Dr. Elliott Coues, U. S. A. 8vo, pp. 116 
& 137. Salem, Mass.: 1874. 
t Ornithology of the Prybilov Islands. By Dr. Elliott Coues, U. S. A. 
Oblong 4to. 1873. 
