This diff adds colon modifiers which could be used to specify lists.
Index: mail.1
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/src/usr.bin/mail/mail.1,v
retrieving revision 1.60
diff -u -p -r1.60 mail.1
--- mail.1 7 Nov 2010 08:05:56 -0000 1.60
+++ mail.1 12 Jul 2013 10:43:23 -0000
@@ -206,14 +206,28 @@ Thus
deletes messages 1 and 2, while
.Ic delete 1\-5
deletes messages 1 through 5.
-The special name
-.Sq *
-addresses all messages and
-.Sq $
-addresses
-the last message; thus the command
+.Pp
+Some special names could be used to specify a list:
+.Bl -tag -width ":u"
+.It *
+all messages
+.It $
+last message
+.It :n
+new messages
+.It :o
+old messages
+.It :r
+read messages
+.It :u
+unread messages
+.It :d
+deleted messages
+.El
+.Pp
+For example,
.Ic top
-which prints the first few lines of a message could be used in
+which prints the first few lines of a message could as well be used as
.Ic top *
to print the first few lines of all messages.
.Ss Replying to or originating mail
