The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names: From Aalge to Zusii (New edition)

All book reviewers like to think that their comments are noted and acted upon by author and publisher, confirming a cherished, but perhaps unrealistic, belief that constructive criticism can help to improve subsequent editions. Unfortunately, that is not the case with this reference work.

The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names was first analyzed and listed by this reviewer for Walford's Guide to Reference Material back in 1992. In my entry written then, I commented on the lack of an English language name index as detracting from an otherwise scholarly work of some 10,000 scientific avian names. Now, according to...