Jan., 1908 PUBLICATIONS REVIEWED 53

ist in any one field of natural history without at the same time knowing something of the general problems, laws and theories of biology. No student of birds should pursue his narrow line of study, oblivious of the main results of work with the other classes of animals. The all-important facts and processes of organic evolution are as essential a feature of ornitho- logical knowledge, as of a knowledge of in- sects, or fishes, or of plants. In their new book, titled as above, Jordan and Kellogg present a well-selected series of facts bearing on the subiect of evolution, de- rived from the latest work in both Europe and Amexica. The early theories aud argumeutsof Darwin, Lamarck and others, and the recent laws and theories of Mendel, Galton, DeVries, and Burbank, are succinctly presented. And the views of the authors themselves appear to us to reflect the very sanest of recent opinions on the many disputed points discussed. The treatment is popular, in the sense ot being clear and easily understandable by the lay reader. The abundant illustratious are lessons iu themselves. In fine, we would recommend the book as the very best and most up-to-date on the sub- ject of evolution, a book that every bird student should read and study, in order to have a broad foundation-knowledge upon which to build his ornithology. We regret to note not a few typographical or perhaps chirographical slips, such as doubt- less resulted from hurried proof-reading. A few minor errors are noticeable; such as the nest of "Rufous hummingbird" photographed at Stanford University, (Fig. 74) very improb- ably that species, but the Allen hummingbird (Selasphorus alleni). Nor have we ever seen any species of "Aythya" marked 'like those in Fig. 276. The composition in places could have beeu smoothed over a bit. But the subject-matter and mode of presen- tation of the book cannot be criticized, as far as we are concerued. We urge those of our readers who wish to acquire a familiarity with the latest evolutionary views, to make use of this, the best exposition of the entire subject as it now stands to be obtalned.--J. G. The BXRDS [ OF [ NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA: I A Descriptive Catalogue I [etc. 7 lines]. I By I ROBERT RIDGWAY I Curator, Div- ision of Birds [  I PART IV. [ Family Tur- didre--Thrushes. Family Zeledoniidre [ Wren- Thrushes. Family 2F[imidre--Mockingbirds. Family Sturnidre'--Starlings. Family Ploceidre [ Weaver Birds. Family ,tlaudidre--Larks. Family Oyzrruncid--Sharp-bills. Family 2'yrannidre--Tyraut Flycatchers. Family Pipridv--IIanakins. Family Cotingidre-- Chatterers. ]  [ Washington: I Goveru- merit Printing Office. [x9o7. (our copy re- ceived August 24) -Bulletin U.S. N.M. No. 50, Part IV, I PP i-xxii, 1-974, pll. I-XXXlV. In the four volumes of this great work now published there have [been described x,675 species and subspecies, or somewhat more than half the total number of North and Middle American Birds." The amount of work repre- sented in the 4ooo closely printed pages already issued is marvelous, when we bear in mind that it means the labor of one man. The synonym- ies alone constitute an undertaking of great magnitude. There is not the least doubt in our minds but that Mr. Ridgway's work is not only the greatest in point of size, but the most thoro, of all the systematic treatises on Amer- ican birds ever issued. The title, above quoted, indicates the scope of Part IV. We will simply call attention to a 'few of the points of interest in regard to Western. species. Mr. Ridgway enters in full standing both the Monterey Hermit Thrush (Hyloclchla gut- tata slevini) and the Sierra Hermit Thrush g. sequoiensis) while the alleged t]ylocichla ustulata redica is included under /]. ustulala ustulata. lxorieus nrevius meruloides, a sup- posed northern form of the Varied Thrush., is considered inseparable from rvvoreus nrevius proper.. Planesticus is introduced as the genus name for the Robin. The range of the San Pedro Bluebird (Sialia mea:icana aabelre) is extended to include the "mountains of san Diego and southern Los Angeles counties, California, and along the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada as far as Mount Lassen," The Pasadena Thrasher ( Toxostoma redivlvum adenense) is not considered separable. f3om the California Thrasher ( T. r. redivivum ). The Horned Larks are entered practically as worked out byOberholser. A sort of dichromatism is ascribed to certain Empidonaces, as hammondi, wrihtii and griseus. This discovery is of ex- treme interest; yet it still more complicates the differential characterization of these difficult species. The genus Contopus, for the Wood Pewees, becomes Myiochanes. In lack of the long-delaying new A. O. U. check-list, it seems to us that students can do no better thau follow Ridgway's lead implicit- ly in matters of nomenclature. Iu fact we do not know but what the check-list had better give way for the present to the ' 'Birds of North aud Middle America," leaving the latter as the only recognized authority.--J. G. RESEARCr x CrxA [ Expedition of i9o3 - 04, under the direction of Bailey Willis I -- ] REPORT ON ZOOLOGY [ by , ELIOT BLACK- WELDER I [extracted from Carnegie Institution of Washington Publication No. 54, [ Research in China, Volume I, Part II, pages 48I-5o8, 6 plates, [vignette] [ Washington, D.C.: [ Pu