Recent Ornithological Publications. 309 



2. German. 



In our recent notice of Herr von Pelzeln's Ornithology of the 

 'Novara' Voyage {supra, p. 115), we mentioned briefly that 

 author's remarks, therein included, on the variation in the 

 plumage of many of the Falconidce. He has now published 

 some more general observations on this interesting subject in 

 the ' Transactions of the Zoological and Botanical Society of 

 Vienna' (1865, pp. 912-946), of which we should be glad to 

 present our readers with a translation, did space allow. All 

 English ornithologists know that White Blackbirds or Black 

 Bullfinches are very commonly met with in country newspapers ; 

 but few persons have ever taken the trouble to collect these and 

 similar records with the view of discovering whether some sort 

 of theory or law may not be deduced from the facts when 

 brought together. 



The following statement shows the number of species, and the 

 kinds of variation to which they are subject, on which Herr von 

 Pelzeln's i-emarks are founded : — 



" Albinismus," complete 32; incomplete 45; partial 37. 



"Melanismus," „ 15; „ 6; „ 2. 



"Erythrismus," „ 17. 

 It would not be difficult to add to these numbers ; and one 

 case especially not remarked upon by our author, and which 

 would come under the last head, occurs to us as we write. It 

 is that of a most curious variety of the Green Woodpecker 

 {Gecinus viridis), with a flame-coloured rump and yellow bands 

 on the wing, which is in the possession of Mr. J. H. Gurney, 

 and was described by him in the * Zoologist' for 1853 (p. 3800); 

 while Mr. Robert Birkbeck, in the same journal for the follow- 

 ing year (p. 4250), mentions his having seen three or four 

 similar examples in the Pisa Museum. 



In the same journal (Verhandl. Z.-B. Gesellsch. 1865, pp. 985- 

 986) Herr von Pelzeln also describes as new two Goatsuckers 

 obtained by Natterer in Brazil, under the names of Hydropsalis 

 ypanemcB and H. pallescens, — the former generally resembling 

 H. forcipata, but smaller and liaving the three middle pairs of 



N. S. VOL. II. P 



