OATES'S BIRDS OF J Mil A. 167 



inflorescence into a palpably indefinite one by heterotaxy, and the 



appearance of a new circle of florets hy prolification of flower-ends 

 in the axils of the median peduncular involucre. 

 Explanation of figures in Plate B : — 



1. Flower head with opened florets and head with florets 

 unopened in axil of the same leaf of Acacia cburnea, Willd. 



2. Young infruitescence shewing that even in fruit there is 

 no tendency to elongation in that part of the peduncle to which 

 florets and subsequently pods are attached ; from the same plant 

 as preceding. 



3. Diseased flower (covered with the granular papillae 

 indicative of the disease) shewing distortion of leaf; general 

 hypertrophy of portion of branchlet, stipular spines and in- 

 florescence ; prolification of florets in the axils of the peduncular 

 bracts ; apostasis, and at the same time heterotaxy, in the normally 

 floret-bearing portion of peduncle ; with pedicellation of individual 

 florets that are normally sessile. 



NOTES ON OATES'S BIRDS OF INDIA. 



The appearance of Mr. Oates's volume on the birds which forms part of 

 the " Fauna of British India," edited by Mr. W. T. Blanford, and published under 

 the auspices of the Indian Government, is an event of great importance to 

 ornithologists, and for the benefit of our Indian readers we have strung together 

 a few notes which may be of service to the numerous students of bird-life in India. 

 Mr. Eugene Oates is a Civil Engineer who has seen long service in the East, one of 

 those officers whose work it has been to open up British Burma to the influences 

 of civilisation. Like many other intelligent officials, Mr. Oates has found time 

 during the intervals of road and canal-making, bridge-building, &c, to study 

 ornithology, and he was one of that famous band of contributors who rallied 

 round Mr. Hume and his ornithological journal — " Stray Feathers." "When on 

 furlough in England in 1881 — 1883, he wrote his " Hand-book to the Birds of 

 British Burma — " a book which at once placed Mr. Oates in the front rank of Bri- 

 tish naturalists. That he is possessed of the true spirit of self-sacrifice in the 

 cause of science has been shown by his willingness to come to England on half 

 pay, ia order to write the ornithological portion of the " Fauna of British India." 

 We hope that ample leave of absence will be granted to him to finish with his own 

 hands the task which he has commenced with so much credit. Mr. Oates has 



