110 Recently published Ornithological Works. 



misled into calling an Oriole only found in the Philippines 

 Oriolus chinensis {cf. Tweeddale, P. Z. S. 1877, p. 760) . This 

 would indeed be a case of lucus a non lucendo ! 



13. David and Oustalet's ' Birds of China.' 



[Les Oiseaux de la Chine. Par M. rAbb«5 Ai-mand David, M.C., 

 Ancien Missionnaire en Chine, et M. E. Oustalet, Aide-Naturaliste au 

 Museum. Avec un Atlas de 124 planches. Paris : Masson, 1877.] 



The name of Armand David is now familiar to zoologists 

 as that of one of the most energetic and successful of the 

 travelling naturalists of the present day ; and the great feats 

 that he has accomplished in China are well known to most of 

 us. Of his narrative of his last expedition into the interior 

 of that country we gave some account last year * ; but we 

 have now to notice a much more important work, in which 

 M. David has had the assistance of M. Oustalet, the Ornitho- 

 logist of the Jardin des Plantes. This is nothing less than a 

 complete resume of all the known birds of the Chinese 

 Empire — a considerable undertaking, considering the number 

 of species contained in the Chinese ornis, and one of great 

 usefulness, looking to the way in which the literature con- 

 cerning them is scattered about in various journals and 

 periodicals. 



By the exertions of our authors this is all now reduced 

 into a uniform shape, or at all events correctly indexed ; while 

 an accompanying volume of plates (although the figures are 

 not of the highest style of art) gives us portraits of most of 

 the rarities that have lately been brought to light by the 

 exertions of Pere David. 



The total number of species included in the present work 

 as inhabitants of China is 807, of which 158 are likewise 

 found in Europe, and about 249, so far as is hitherto known, 

 are peculiar to China. Of each of these 807 species we have 

 the principal synonyms, a short description, and the chief 

 facts of its history indicated ; so that the work will be a most 

 useful one to students of the Chinese avifauna. The following 

 species appear to be now described as new for the first time — 

 * See abis,' 1877, p. 117. 



