Bibliographical Notices. 421 



physical features, or whether we may suppose the birds migrating 

 along the parallels of latitude. 



Separate chapters are devoted to the breeding of the Smew and 

 Crane (Wolley) ; Nesting-places of the Frigate Bird (G. C. Taylor) ; 

 Harlequin Duck (a critical article, by A. Newton) ; Nesting of 

 Black Woodpecker (W. H. Simpson) ; Nesting of Eagle Owl in 

 Captivity (Edward Fountain) ; White's Thrush as observed in War- 

 wickshire (R. F. Tomes) ; Black-winged Stilt in Sussex (A. E. Knox) ; 

 Breeding of Mutton Bird (Puffinus obscurus) (R. Elwes) ; Pel's 

 Owl (J. H. Gurney) : all interesting and very readable articles. 



Under the head of the "general subject" may be quoted a paper 

 on the Preparation of Birds' Skeletons, by Mr. Eyton ; Mr. Tomes 

 on the genera Oreocincla, Turdus, and Merula, and Mr. Wallace's 

 remarks upon the Geographical Distribution of Birds, which those 

 who are interested in the subject will do well to compare with Mr. 

 Sclater's in the * Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnaean Society ' 

 (vol. ii. p. 13), as well as with some of the remarks preliminary to 

 different articles in the ' Ibis.' 



The new species of Birds described in this volume amount to some 

 twenty. We could wish to see them collected into a separate appen- 

 dix at the end of each year. 



There are given fifteen beautifully coloured plates to illustrate this 

 volume : three of these, representing eggs, are from the pencil of 

 Hewitson ; others of the drawings are by J. Wolf, sufficient 

 guarantee that everything has in this respect been done to give the 

 new periodical a high character. Photography appears to have been 

 successfully employed by Dr. Brewer in copying the exact markings 

 of eggs. 



Each Number concludes with a summary of recent Ornithological 

 publications, English and Foreign, a few paragraphs of short notices, 

 extracts from correspondence, &c. If anything be still wanting when 

 so much has been accomplished, we could wish to see the ' Ibis ' 

 becoming the registrar of the more important observations made 

 upon British birds upon our own soil : but we are convinced that it is 

 only needful for the Journal to become better known to ensure this 

 result. 



We may now conclude our pleasant task by heartily recommending 

 the ' Ibis ' to every one who takes any interest in birds, whether 

 British or foreign, and with the hope that its circulation among 

 the fraternity may soon double the number of accurate and diligent 

 observers. He who would be a true Ornither must have no delight 

 in ease or in mere shooting. He should be a kind of scientific 

 Gipsy : a brown-faced, hardy, out-o'-doors man ; a quick shot ; a 

 dauntless climber ; an earnest student ; a practical bird-stuffer, with 

 a dash of the author : and if to this is added a warm feeling for the 

 beauties of Nature in all her forms, we envy the man who is such, 

 and we commend him especially to the worshippers of the Ibis as 

 a worthy fellow-craftsman. Such, we know, are many Englishmen, 

 and we trust their numbers may be ever on the increase. 



