J
SB
Teyler’s Stichting
BIBUOTHEEK
HAARLEM
PRINTED BY TAYLOR AND PRANCIS ,
RED LION COURT, FLEET STREET.
The second volume of the ‘Hand-list’ of Birds is believed to be a
correct record of all the species of Psittaci and of wbat are known
generally as ‘ Picarian ’ birds.
The number of genera and species enumerated in the two volumes of
the ‘ Hand-list ’ is as follows :—
Yol. 1............... 830 genera 3626 species.
Yol. I I ............... 454 „ 2861
T o ta l..... 1284 genera 6487 species.
The number of generic names given by the late George Robert Gray
in his ‘ Hand-list ’ (1869-71) is 1453, but it must be remembered that
that author gave a number to every sub-generic name mentioned by
him, so that not more than half of the genera indicated by him had
any real existence, and that probably not more than 700 have been
recognized by succeeding writers. This would give an increase of about
500 or more generic names adopted since 1871 in the groups of birds
other than Passerine. In the same number of Families as has now been
enumerated in the two volumes of the new ‘ Hand-list/ Gray admitted
some 4940 species, so that in the thirty years which have elapsed since
he wrote nearly 1500 additional species have been described. Dr. Sharpe,
a 2