i procp:edings of uxited states national :\[uset7m. 359 23498 g. D. 13 5 A. 14; Y. 3; P. 35; 0. 31 ; B. S. Leiigtli ICT millime- ters. GGGl. 17 specimeus. St. Michaels, Alaslai. II. M. Bannister. a. Length 210 millimeters. D. 13; A. 14; V. 3; P. 33; C— ; B. 8. h. Length 200 millimeters. D. 14: A. 14; Y. 3; P. 35; C— ; B. 8. e. Length 135 millimeters. D. 12: A. 14; Y. 3; P. 35; C. 30; B. 8. The remaining fourteen specimens vary in length from 110 to 180 mil- limeters. United States National Museum, WasJiingtoiij January 5, 1880. FOURTBI III\.STAI.:HEIVT OF ©R!VBTBIOI.O«ICAI. BIBI.IOCiRAPHV r BE:INC} a Jf.ffJ^T ©F FAUIVA!. I»l.TjBf.S«'ATI©.\S REff,ATIIV« T© BRIT- I!§H RIRD!^. My BR. ELS^IOTT COUES, U. S. A. The zlppendix to the "Birds of the Colorado Yalley- (pp. 507 [lJ-784 [218]), which gives the titles of "Faunal Publications" relating to North American Birds, is to be considered as the first instalment of a "Uni- versal Bibliography of Ornithology''. The second instalment occupies pp. 230-330 of the " Bulletin of the United States Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories 'V Yol. Y, No. 2, Sept. G, 1879, and similarly gives the titles of "Faunal Publications" relating to the Birds of the rest of America.. The.third instalment, which occnpies the same "Bulletin", same Yol.,, No. 4 (in press), consists of an entirely different set of titles, being those belonging to the "systematic" department of the whole Bibliography^ in so far as America is concerned. Here come the titles of all publica- tions relating to particular species, genera, or families of American Birds, systematically arranged, hy families, and in chronological order. These three previous instalments represent a nearly complet^^ Bibli- ogi-aphy of American Ornithology. This present, /o«r^A, instalment of the worlv is of the same character as the first two: that is, it relates to "regional" or "faunal" as distin- guished from "systematic" ornithology; and it undertakes to do for British Birds what the first two did for American. That is to say: here belong the titles of all publications treating of British Birds as such, exclusively, and indiscriminately or collectively. In publishing these preliminary instalments, it is necessary to draw a hard and fast line between those titles which are and those which are not to be found in each one of them—a line which would be very evident to one cognizant of the plan of the whole Bibliography, though by no means obvious at first sight. It is therefore necessary for me to bo exjjlicit here. In order to fall within the scope, of this fourth instalment, a publica- 3G0 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. tion must relate to Britisli Birds as such. Secoudly, it nuist relate to British Birds exclusively. Thirdly, it must relate to liritish Birds of more thau one species, geuus or family. For, tirst, a i)ublicatiou ou, say, LaruH (jlaucus and Tringa canutus as observed in Greenland does not belong- here, though both these species are British Birds. For, sec- ondly, a work on the Birds of Europe does not belong here, though including all British Birds. For, thirdly, a paper on the occurrence of Ph(daro])us lujpcrhoreus in Great Britain, or one on the habits of Lar/ojms scoticus, does not belong here, as the scheme of the whole work carries one of these to Fhalaroiwdidcv, the other to Tdraonkla\\\\ the "system- atic" department of the whole Bibliography; though a paper on Pha- Jaropits liyperhoreus and Lagopus scoticus as observed in Great Britain would belong here, being a "faunal" publication, and a "British" one. This instalment, like (hose which have preceded it. is to be considered only in the light of published proof-sheets, to be canceled on the final appearance of the whole work. They are thus published in advance for several reasons—among others, both to render available certain depart- ments of the Bibliography which approach completion, and are therefore useful as far as they go, and to invite suggestions and criticisms for the bettering of the whole work. This British list is prepared with the «ame great care to secure good results which was bestowed upon previous instalments, and it is hoped that the severe tests to which it will doubt- less be subjected will prove it to be no less accurate than its predecessors have been found to be. Accurate, as far as it goes, I believe it to be; but I know it to be very incomplete. I do not think that it contains more than one-half as many titles as belong to this department of the Bibliography. I earnestly hope that the omissions, as well as any other defects that publication of my manusciipt discloses,. may be brought to my notice by those interested in the completion of the work. There are numberless historical, statistical, geographical, agricultural, even political publications, which contain lists or other notices of British Birds, no hint of the fact being given in their respective titles; and it is my aim to include everything that claims to be ornithological by a formal heading of any sort. Very few of these "by-ways of bibliog- raphy " have been accessible to me in America. Xor have [ ever been able to lay hands on a file of The Fidd, nor have 1 indexed certain peri- odicals past 1874. These sources, to say nothing of others I could men- tion, should yield upwards of a thousand titles not here given. I am so fully aware of the deficiencies of this instalment that criticism on this score would l)e futile. My manner of arranging the titles, moreover, is accoixling to the plan of the whole work, scarcely to be appreciated as yet. But these two points aside, I ask for, and hope to receive, the severest criticism to which such literary work can be subjected. I should esteem it a great favor to receive back this i^amphlet from ibs possessor with any errors corrected, any omissions supi)lied, or any bettering of my comments on the publications the titles of which are here given; PEOC'EEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 361 and 1 sliould be luippy to recoguizc sucli courtesy by returning- a copy of the whole Bibliography as soou as published. lu couducting this work, I habitually regard The Title as inviolable, —to be transcribed in full, verhatm, literatim et xnmotuatim. In the case of a book, this means a traus(!ript of the title-page, with vertical bars this is given ) to indicate the adjustment of the typography. With ( j the complete collation. In the cases of papers published in periodicals, I gWv tlie full title, -with the page on which the article ends as well as that on which it begins, with illustrations if any—in short, all custom- ary or requisite l)ibliographical data. Difterent editions of the same work, even if identical, are regarded as separate publications. Except in certain cases, where the contrary is expressly stated, no title in this Bihlioijraphij has been tal-en at second-hand. Many friends, both in England .and in my own country, have been pleased to express their interest in this work, and their hope for its successful completion. To each of them, I beg to tender my sincere thanks : and I may be permitted here to refer, in an especial manner, to the encouragement, advice and assistance which I have constantly- received, during years of toil, from Professor Alfred Kewton, of Mag- dalene College, Cambridge. Smithsonian Institution, Washiiif/ton, Januari/ 20, 1880. t Britauuicarum, citntmens Vege- Kei'iiui Ntitui-aliuui | 1606. Meruett, C. Piuax | | | repperta iu- choatus. — ot Fossilia, hac insula | Aiiiinalia In | tabilia, | | | | Cliiistoplioro MerreTr Mediciiuc Doctoro utrinsiiue Societatis Autliorc | I custody. M// -« Aoyw /llovvov Kegiiu Socio piiiuoiiue Mustei Harvoaui | — | I TovQ li/rpovg. Hip]). — Loutliui Impensis Cave a/ld lp-)i,) (h'l vofiiiE-j&ui. | | | I Pauli, Typis F. T. Warren, Rostc iu CtBiueterio Divi | Pvilleyn lusigue | & Anno 1666. Vol.nnic. Ifinio. Tit., 1 fol. Epist. dedicat., 3^ fol. Epist. ad Lect., ^10 fol. pp. 1-2^1 -f 1. Eclitio priuccps. Ed. ;ilt., 1667, 'j. v. Ed. nova. 1704. Aves Britauuicii', pp. 170-184. Avhim Catalouus Biitaimicanim, adject is nomiuibu.s iucolarum, locis babitationum, auctor- uinque citatioiiiliiis, ueunou notis diveisis. "As to Animals, be finds of them about 340. kiuds in England, whereof of tbefourfooted are .• about 50. Birds 170. (Philos. Tmns., \. ]).'M;i.) IJcruin Naturaliuin Britaimicaium, contineu.s Vege- | 1667. Merrictt, C. Piuax | | | .ct Eossilia, liac rcpcrta inclioatus. Insula | Au- tabilia, In | — Animaliii. | | | tliorc Cliiistoi)lioi(i :MiTn'tt, Modiciu;e Doetore ntrius(iue Societatis I I | i>riuiotiUi,' Musiei Har- veaui Custode. Mf/ tu 1oy9 fiovvov Regia; Socio | | — | rovg Hipp. Londiui, Tj-pis T..Eoy- l:py(.) vdiuLieaOai | — | alia u/rpovc- | I M croft, IiujK-n.sis Pulleyii. Vol. unic. 16mo. Tit., 1 fol. Cave; | MDCLXVII. Epist. dcdic. .'. fol. Epist. ad Lcct.. 10 fol. pp. 1--J'J:'. + 1. Edit, altera. Ed. prluceps, Kmo, -/. r. Ed. nova. 1704. Are-s Britanuiea'. pp. 170-184. The matter of these two editions is substantially the same, if not identical, but the type appears to bav(v b(tcu reset throughout : the title and ctdlatiou differ, as v.'ill be seen on com- paring them. Tlie Government T'rinting Office has no font that will exactly reproduce the Greek quotation of the IGOU ed., though coming very near it ; moreover, the orthography and accentuation of the motto differ in the 1 wo eds.—The orig.