188 Recent Ornithological Publications. 



Dryocopi or Campephili. The bird figured and described as " Me- 

 gapicus sclateri, <? ," is a female, as is shown by the receipt of 

 further specimens from Mr. Fraser. The male has the front 

 and sides of the face red. (See P.Z.S. 1860, p. 71.) 



To the ' Arcana Naturae/ a work intended to illustrate new 

 and remarkable natural objects, now in course of publication at 

 Paris, M. Jules Verreaux contributes a figure and description 

 of a beautiful new Ortyx — Cyrtonyx sallm (vol. i. pi. 4), allied 

 to C massena, from Mexico. 



In the ' Revue et Magasin de Zoologie ' for November last are 

 two Oological articles. M. Moquin-Tandon writes general " Con- 

 siderations sur les (Eufs des Oiseaux." Amongst those species 

 the eggs of which are of a size disproportionate to those of 

 the parent, M. Moquin-Tandon might well have mentioned the 

 Apteryx. In this bird the egg equals in weight nearly one-fourth 

 of that of the parent (see P.Z.S. 1859, p. 350). M. 0. Des 

 Murs, in speaking of the egg of the Balaniceps, reprints the 

 notes published by M. Verreaux in the ' Edinburgh New Phi- 

 losophical Journal' for 1855. In this we think M. Des Murs 

 has acted unwisely; for, as we have already shown (Ibis, 1859, 

 p. 471), there is every reason to believe that M. Verreaux's cor- 

 respondent was altogether in error on the subject. If the state- 

 ments of Mr. Petherick, who procured the eggs upon which 

 M. Des Murs bases his observations, are correct, which we have 

 no doubt is the case, the Balceniceps does not eat tortoises, but 

 fishes ! — builds on the ground in the reeds, and not in trees ! — 

 and certainly does not lay spotted eggs, as M. Des Murs himself 

 candidly allows ! 



The same Magazine for January of this year contains a con- 

 tinuation of M. Moquin-Tandon' s article, and an attempt on the 

 part of M. Des Murs to prove, upon oological grounds, that our 

 Common Sparrow does not belong to the Finches {Fringillida}, 

 but to the Weaver-birds [Ploceida) ! We merely remark that 

 Passer does not present the first short primary, the distinguish- 

 ing character of the latter family upon which Prince Bonaparte 

 based the separation of the two groups. 



