finch fining arm 33mm:
THE Bntos OF NORTH AND Mumir. AHER- lCA. A Descriptive Catalogue of the Higher Groups. Genera, Species and Subspecies of Birds Known to Occur in North America, from the Arctic Lands to the Isthmus of Panama, the West Indies and other Islands of the Carribean Sea, and the Galapagos Archipelago. By ROBERT RIDGWAY, Part I. Family FringillidaegThe Finches, Bull. U. S Nat. Mu. . Not 50, \Vashinglou: Gov- ernment Printing Office, Igor. 8t-oi Pages xxxi +715; plls. xx,
This is the first in a series which, we are told, will, when completed, contain eight volumes, on the preparation of which Mr. Ridgway has been long engaged. The work treats of the classification of birds in general and presents it to the families, genera, spe res antl subspecies of the birds inhabiting the region covered by the title.
The present volume deals with the Finche. of which 227 species anti 162 subspecies are included
In this, his preliminary volume, ML Ridgway dwells at some length on the cla'» sification of the higher groups of birds, di - cusses critically the views of Gadow, Fiir- bringer, Stejneger and other authorities, and gives numerous references to the literature of the subjecti The conclusion is reached that the Finches represent the most highly devel- oped birds, and in explanation or his selece tion of this, rather than the lowest family as subjects for his first volume, it is explained that lack of storage space in the Smithsonian Institution renders the lower forms of birds unavailable for study.
In his treatment of the Fringillidze ML Ridgway has been wholly ungoverned by precedent. He says: " In all cases it has been the author‘s desire to express exactly the facts as they appear to him in the light of the evidence examined, without any regard what ever to preconceived ideas, either of his own or of others." His results, therefore, difler widely from those of other students of this family both in regard to grouping and in the inclusion, highly desirable to our mind. of certain genera among the Finches which
have formerly Tanagers.
been placed among the
In regard to the recognition of species anti subspecies, Mri Ridgway w 'tes: “ The only question that can possibly exist in the mind of those who have this matter to deal with is the degree of difference which should be rec- ognized in nomenclature, anti in this respect there is more or less excuse for difference of opinion, according to one’s ability to discern differences and estimate the degree of their constancy, the extent and character of ma- terial studies. and the amount of time which has been devoted to its investigation."
Mr. Ridgway, as those who are familiar with his work well know, has the "ability to discern tliflercnces” developed in a high degree. Years of training have so sharpened unusually acute perceptive powers that in studying the material on which the volume under consideration is based, doubtless not one race worthy of recognition by name has escaped his attention \Vhetlter they are all worthy of such recognition is, 15 Mrs Ridg» way says, a matter of opinion, but we should always remember that a name becomes pro- portionately valueless as it becomes un— certain of application.
On the other hand, in compensation, it may be said with equal truth that few or none of the forms which Mr. Ridgway has rejected are probably deserving of nomen» clatural rank,
In execution this work bears evidence of skill and thoroughness in preparation which renders it above criticism. ML Ridgway possesses a positive genus for analy s and description which, developed by prolonged
experience, places him, in our opinion, first among systematic ornithologists. The syn- onymy is compiled with rare exactness and an unusual discrimination in selection and annotation which make it not merely a mat- ter of names but a guide to the distribution and biography of the species, Measurements are given with satisfactory exactness, the metric system being employed. and the work will be so indispensable to students of the
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