Recently published Ornithological Works. Ill 



Herbivocvla incerta (p. 246), Locustella minor (p. 251), Suya 

 parum-striata (p. 259), Oreopneuste affinis (p. 257), Corydalla 

 kiangsinensis (p. 311), and Uragus lepidus (p. 359). Two 

 new genera are instituted : — Moupinia (p. 219), type Alcippe 

 poecilotis, Verr. ; and Spelceornis (p. 229) , type Pnoepyga 

 troglodytoides, Verr. The new genera and species indicated 

 in Pere David's ' Journal de mon troisieme Voyage ' (c/. Ibis, 

 1877, p. 118) are also more perfectly described. 



14. D. G. Elliot and A. Reichenow on the Ibises. 



[Review of the Ibidinae, or Subfamily of the Ibises, By D. G. Elliot, 

 i', Z. S, 1877, p. 477 et seqq. 



Systematiscbe Uebersicbt der SchreitAOgel {Gressores), einer natiir- 

 licben, die Ibidae, Ciconidse, Phcenicopteridae, Scopidfe, Balaenicipidae imd 

 Ardeidas umfassenden Ordnung. Von Dr. Ant. Reichenow. J. f. Orn. 

 1877, p. 113 et seqq.] 



There are few gi'oups of birds which admit of more varied 

 treatment as regards their classification than the Ibises. The 

 characters by which each species is marked are in most cases 

 so trenchant that they have been looked upon by many 

 authors as of generic value; hence we find that almost as 

 many generic titles have been proposed for the members of 

 the family as there are species to put into them. Again, 

 other writers, viewing these characters as of specific or at 

 most of subgeneric value only, group the whole of the species 

 under one or two genera. In the two papers now before 

 us each of these two extreme views are propounded. Mr. 

 Elliot is the exponent of the former, and places the 25 species 

 of Ibises he recognizes in 19 genera; whilst Dr. Reichenow 

 classes all under three generic heads (including Plataled) . 



As neither of these authors has done more than draw the 

 characters of his genera from external sources (Mr. EUiot 

 using little else than the distribution of the feathers on the 

 head and neck when defining his genera) , we cannot consider 

 either classification by any means final, and we have yet to 

 look for sound definitions of the genera of the Ibidinae. 



Of the 19 genera employed by Mr. Elliot, three are intro- 

 duced as new. The species recently described by Dr. Oustalet 

 as Ibis gigantea is called Thaumatibis gigantea. The same 



