Seebohm's “Birds of Japan”

Abstract

MR. SEEBOHM'S work on the ornithology of Japan is sure to be welcome to naturalists, as it is always useful to have the avifauna of any country or group of islands monographed and historically brought up to date. In his latest work Mr. Seebohm has incorporated all the results obtained by recent explorers in Japan, and we have now a very fair idea of the birds of this portion of Eastern Asia. The map which accompanies the volume also helps to a better understanding of the relations of Japanese ornithology with those of the adjacent countries. Mr. Seebohm has further made use of the present work to amplify and expound his recently-published “Classification of Birds,” so that the work contains his latest views on this important subject. In his original work he gave two schemes of arrangement, giving a preference to the second or “alternative” one. He appears now to have changed his mind, and to have reverted to his original idea (“Classif. B.,”p. vii.), with this important modification, that he now places his Coraceiiformes after his Pico-Passeres, ending with Mimogypes (American Turkey Vultures), which lead from the Ground Hornbills (Bucorax), and are followed by the Sub-class Falconiformes. There is no doubt that this is a great gain in idea, and we are glad to see that Mr. Seebohm is modifying his first notion, that it is absolutely advisable to reduce the orders of birds to a small number of Sub-Classes. We are of opinion that a still further increase in the number of Orders will have to take place before the scheme works to the satisfaction of ornithologists. The Birds of the Japanese Empire. By Henry Seebohm. Pp. i.–xxiv., 1–386. (London: R. W. Porter, 1890.)