60 NATURAL SCIENCE [July 



ally with the birds of the Kingdom of Italy was a particularly happy 

 thought. It must he gratifying to Cav. Brogi to find himself so well 

 backed up by his countrymen. The eight numbers of Avicula which 

 have now made their appearance contain many fugitive notes upon 

 rare birds, such, for example, as Chetusia gregaria and Cliaradrius 

 fulvus, which rarely journey sufficiently far west to offer sport to 

 Roman wildfowlers. But the mainstay of Avicula is to be sought for 

 in the admirable series of papers contributed by able observers upon 

 the birds of their own districts. Sacerdote Antonio Tait is penning a 

 noteworthy report upon the Avifauna of Trent ; while Armando 

 Lucifero has recently commenced a dissertation upon the ornithology 

 of Calabria, a region which has hitherto received less attention from 

 naturalists than the provinces of Northern Italy. We wish continued 

 prosperity to this plucky venture of our colleagues. 



New Serials 



We have received the lengthy announcement of a forthcoming 

 periodical, entitled La Industria Agricola, which is to be published at 

 Caracas in Venezuela. Each number will consist of 32 octavo pages, 

 and will appear monthly. 



We learn from Science that a handsomely illustrated periodical, en- 

 titled Monumental Records, and edited by the Rev. H. M. Baum, is 

 published at Box 1839, New York City, at a price of $1.50 per annum. 

 It is concerned with the discovery of ancient monuments in both the 

 Old and New Worlds. 



We learn from the Scottish Geographical Magazine that the 

 Geographical Society of La Paz, Bolivia, founded in 1889, has begun 

 the publication of a journal. The first number contains a monograph 

 of the Province of Munecas, an account of the Province of the Mojos, 

 written two centuries ago by a Jesuit missionary, and a statement of 

 the boundary dispute with Peru. 



The Oxford University Junior Scientific Club has recently exchanged 

 the publication of a more or less contemporary Journal for Transac- 

 tions, appearing at rarer intervals, and containing only the papers 

 read. The first two parts were published in 1897, a more exact date 

 not being given. The first contains a criticism by Mr Garstang of Dr 

 Gaskell's Theory of Vertebrate Ancestry, with a restatement of Mr 

 Garstang's own views as to the Echinoderm relations of the vertebrate 

 ancestor. The next paper is by Mr E. C. Atkinson, and it is an 

 abstract of one which we shall publish in our next number. This is 

 followed by an abstract of A. E. Boycott's paper, " Shell Coloration 

 (he calls it ' colouration ') in British extra-marine Mollusca." No. 2 

 contains some stray notes on the birds of Oxford by A. W. S. Fisher. 

 His paper is the only one honoured with a report of the discussion. 

 Nos. 3 and 4 were issued together in May 1898, and contain the 

 abstract of a paper on Athletic Training, a subject always popular 

 at Oxford, by G. W. S. Farmer. Although outside our scope, we 

 can hardly pass without notice the excellent and enthusiastic account 

 of the life and work of the illustrious chemist, Victor Meyer, by 

 F. Soddy. 



