214 



REPORT OP NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1896. 



SHUFELDT, Robert W.— Continued. 



Brings up to date our knowledge of the nidi- 

 tication of the two American representatives of 

 the genus Coccothravstes, with other interest- 

 ing matter added. The articleis illustrated by 

 a half-tone cut made from a photograph reduc- 

 ing a life-size colored drawing of Dr. Shufeldt'.s 

 of a pair of adult specimens of the Evening 

 Grosbeak. This drawing has a peculiar his- 

 tory, as stated in the article. 



A curious boat from the Spice Islands. 



Am. Field, XLV, No. 19, New York and 

 Chicago, May 9, 1896, p. 439. 

 Description of a boat constructed entirely of 

 cloves, and now in possession of Dr. Shufeldt. 

 Illustrated by a half-tone made from a photo- 

 graph of the object by the author. 



Tortoises and turtles. 



Great Divide, xiv. No. 5, Chicago, May, 1896, 

 pp. 89, 90. 

 Personal experiences in collecting and study- 

 ing tortoises, also descriptions of turtles and 

 their habits, with references to specimens in the 

 U.S. National Museum and the British Museum. 

 Illustrated by copies of Giinther's figures show- 

 ing the arrangement of the epidermoid plates 

 in Tcstudo pardalis, a half-tone of Cistudo Caro- 

 lina from a ])hotograph by Dr. Shufeldt, and 

 a dra^fing of the scutes of Garetta imbricata. 



Progress in American ornithology. 



1886-1896. 



Am. Katuralist, xxx. No. 353, Philadel- 

 phia, May, 1896, pp. 357-372. 

 Essentially an extended criticism of the 

 second edition of the A. O. U. Check-list of 

 North American Birds. Gives, in tabulated 

 form, the additions of birds to the list since 

 the appearance of the first edition, as well as 

 those removed from it. The List of Fossil 

 Birds of North America is similarly dealt with ; 

 ■while finally the matter of the classification 

 adopted is taken in band, and shown to be, in 

 many instances, antiquated and eminently un- 

 natur.il. 



Short talks about shells. 



Observer, vii, No. 5 (whole number. No. 



77), Portland, Conn., May, 1896, pp. 179- 



183. 

 Brief instructions and definitions of terms 

 for the use of young conchologists. The article 

 is illustrated by drawings made by Dr. Shufeldt, 

 one of the Mitre-Shell, Mitre episcopalis, and 

 six otliers showing the various characters of 

 shells. In the course of the article occasion is 

 taken to invite attention to the conchological 

 collections of the U. S. National Museum, and 

 especially to the fine series of shells in the ex. 

 hibition cases, prepared to show shell structure 

 and shell growth. 



[Reviews of the following papers :] 



The changes of plumage in the Dunlin 



SHUFELDT, Robert W.— Continued, 

 and Sanderling, by Frank M. Chapuuui, 

 Bull. Am. Mns. Nat. Hist., Vlii, art. i, 

 pp. 1-8, New York, Mar., 1896; On the 

 changes of plumage in the Snow Flake, 

 Plectropltenax nivalis, by Frank M. 

 Chapman, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist., 

 VIII, art. II, pp. 9-12, New York, Mar., 

 1896; Alleged changes of color in the 

 feathers of birds without molting, by 

 J. A. All^n, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist., 

 VIII, art. Ill, pp. 13-44, New York, Mar., 

 1896. 



Nidologist, ni. No. 9, New Tork, May 

 1896, p. 107. 



Progress in American ornithology, 



1886-1895. 



Science, (New series), iii. No. 75, 

 Tork, .lune 5. 1896, pp. 841, 842. 

 A rejoinder to Dr. Allen. 



New 



Life habits of Phrynosoma. 



Science (New series), iii. No. 76, New 

 Tork, June 12, 1890, pp. 867, 868. 

 A reference to an article with this title con- 

 tributed to Science by Prof. Charles L. Edwards 

 (in a former issue), pointing out to him tliat 

 not all the species of Phrynosoma are oviparous, 

 as he seems to believe; that P. douglassii, at 

 least, is viviparous, as the author knew from 

 his own personal observations and from speci- 

 mens be had since placed in the U. S. National 

 Museum, collected by himself in New Mexico. 



Opossums. 



Great Divide, XIV, No. 6, Chicago, June, 

 1896, p. 109. 

 Brief descriptions of the Opossums and their 

 allies. Illustrated by a large half-tone, show- 

 ing the fine group of Virginia Opossums and 

 young, mounted by Mr. William Palmer, and 

 now exhibited in the mammal hall of the U. S. 

 National Museum. 



Frogs and their uses. 



Appleton's Popular Science Monthly, XLix, 

 No. 2, New Tork, June, 1896, pp. 179-185. 

 An article inviting attention to the numer- 

 ous uses frogs are put to, both in the biological 

 laboratories and elsewhere. Between the 

 lines, this is an address to the antivivisec- 

 tionists, showing how indispensable it is to 

 have the use of living animal forms wherewith 

 to demonstrate biological truths, especially in 

 medicine and physiology. A fine half-tone of 

 Panacatesbiana, from a photograph of a living 

 specimen, by the author, illustrates the contri- 

 bution. 



SCHWARZ, E. A. The Hippelates plague 

 in Florida. 



Insect Life, \n. No. 5, July, 1895, pp. 374- 

 379, 2 figs. 



