The 'Clements' checklist of the birds of the world is probably the best known of the various lists published in recent years. Now in its fifth edition, it covers subspecies for the first time. This will greatly enhance its appeal to all birders and ornithologists, and in these times of taxonomic uncertainty, when species are frequently being revised, it will make these taxonomic changes easier to understand. It presents a total of 9,800 species of birds; each is given its scientific name and its best-known English name. This is followed by a full listing of all recognized subspecies and brief descriptions of their ranges. Each entry has a space to record the locations and dates of individual sightings' providing the user with a personalised ornithological journal. Also included are appendices listing totals of bird species and endemics by country, a gazetteer of over 2000 localities mentioned in the text, a complete bibliography, and indexes to both scientific and English names.