396 Recent Ornithological Publications. 



3. French and Belgian Publications. 

 M. Ch. F. DuBois has kindly sent to this journal the first fifty 

 livraisons of his ' Planches Coloriees des Oiseaux de PEurope et 

 de leurs oeufs, especes non observees en Belgique^*. This work, 

 which was commenced in 1861, is intended as the same sort of 

 supplement to the author's 'Oiseaux de la Belgique' as Dr.Bree's 

 lately finished volumes were to Mr. Morris's ' Birds of Great 

 Britain.' Each of the livraisons of M. DuBois's work contains 

 three coloured lithographs, with an accompanying page of letter- 

 press. They are not issued in order, but will form three volumes 

 when complete. The designs are superior to those of ordinary 

 books of this class, and are in many instances highly to be com- 

 mended; but the colouring, as is usually the case in such books, 

 is often defective. There are no descriptions given in the letter- 

 press, and the few facts stated as regards localities, range, habits, 

 &c., are not always correct according to the latest information we 

 possess on these points. For example, we doubt whether Lanius 

 tchagra {Telophonus cucullatus, Temm.) has ever been killed in 

 Europe, except as a chance straggler; yet M. DuBois states, 

 *' elle n'est pas rare en Espagne et en France ; elle a ete prise 

 en Bretagne;" and it is certainly not correct to say that "les 

 moeurs de cet oiseau sont absolument les memes que celles des 

 autres especes du meme genre (i. e. Lanius)." The habits of a 

 Shrike and a Bush-Shrike are decidedly not identical. Again, 

 Ixos obscurus is stated to occur in Java (!) ; and Passer cisalpinus 

 to be found in the south of Siberia, Java, Syria, Bucharia, Daouria, 

 Greece and great part of Italy, and the isles of the Medi- 

 terranean ! 



We have recently received the 6th and 7th livraisons of MM. 

 Jaubert and Barthelemy-Lapommeraye's * Bichesses Ornitholo- 

 giques du Midi de la France' t, completing the work. The 



* Bruxelles, Leipzig, et Gand : Muquardt, 1861-64, 8vo. 



t Ricbesses Ornithologiques du Midi de la France, ou description nie- 

 thodique de tons les Oiseaux observes en Provence et dans les Departe- 

 raents circonvoisins. Par MM, J.-B. Jaubert, Docteur en Medecine, et 

 Bartbelemy-Lapommera)'e, Directeur du Museum d'Histoire Naturelle de 

 Marseille. 1 vol. 4 to, Marseilles, 1859-62. 



