Recently published Ornithological Works. 211 



Ptilopus bellus. The following birds are described as new : — 

 Pcecilodryas sylvia, Myzomela eques, Eurostopodus astrolabae, 

 uEgotlieles (?) plumifera, Paradisea susannce, Rhamphomantis 

 rollesi, Sittella albifrons, and jEluracedus melanocephalus, all, 

 apparently^ from the Astrolabe range, except the Paradisea, 

 which is our old friend Paradisea decora (Ibis, 1883, p. 199, 

 pi. viii.) from D'Entrecasteaux Islands. There are likewise 

 some brilliant novelties in eggs described, such as those of 

 Manucodia atra,Paradisea raggiana,SindDrepi2nornis albertisi. 

 In the last case Mr. Hunstein is stated to have shot the female 

 on the nest. The eg^ is " of a light dull cream-colour, with 

 a reddish tinge, spotted all over with oblong dashes of reddish 

 brown and light purplish grey, closer on the thick end.'^ 



38. Sharpe on the Progress of Ornithology in 1882. 



[Zoological Record for 1882. Aves. By R. Bowdler Sharps, F.L.S., 

 F.Z.S., &c. London: 1883.] 



The task of preparing the section " Aves " of our ' Zoolo- 

 gical Record,^ which for five consecutive years had been 

 fulfilled by Saunders, has been undertaken for 1882 by 

 Mr. Sharpe, whose industry seems never to fail when orni- 

 thological work of any kind is required to be done. We have 

 every reason to be satisfied with its completeness. Occasional 

 misprints (alas ! we know it too well) are unavoidable ; but 

 on turning over the record of birds, more, we think we must 

 say, have met our eyes than should have escaped careful 

 supervision. 



But what has much interested us is the '' arrangement " 

 adopted for the first time in the present ' Hecord,^ which is 

 '' based upon the British Museum Catalogue of Birds .^^ As it 

 is understood that the great bird-gallery of the new Natural- 

 History Museum will be set in order upon the same system, 

 this "arrangement"' becomes a matter of primary impor- 

 tance, and we must ask our friend to forgive us if we in- 

 dulge in a few criticisms upon it. So far as they are given 

 here, the principal divisions adopted run in the following 

 order : — Accipitres,Passeriformes,Picari8e,Psittaci, Columbse, 



