Recently published Ornithological Works. 209 



28. Ridgway on the American Species of Scops. 



[A Review of the American Species of the Genus Scops, Savigny. By 

 Robert Ridgway. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. 1878, p. 85.] 



In this paper Mr. Ridgway has grappled with a complicated 

 subject with his usual energy and care ; and the results he has 

 arrived at are fairly satisfactory, and agree in the main with 

 what has been done by other workers in the same field. He 

 recognizes seven species of American Scops, one of which, 

 from Costa Rica, is here described as new under the name of 

 S. cooperi. The great difficulty in the members of the genus 

 centres round S. brasilianus and S. asio. Of the former Mr. 

 Ridgway writes of five races, Avhich, however, are quite un- 

 distinguishable as species. The latter also comprises five 

 races, the relations of which are perhaps hardly so well under- 

 stood, owing to the greater rarity of some of the forms. 

 Scops trichopsis, Wagl., is treated as a distinct species; but 

 Mr. Ridgway has well-founded doubts whether this name is 

 strictly applicable to the bird he describes*. 



29. Ridgway on a neiv Humming-bird from Guatemala. 



[On a new Humming-bird {Atthis ellioti) from Guatemala. By Robert 

 Ridgway. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. 1878, p. 8.] 



Mr. Ridgway finds that Guatemalan specimens of the bird 

 hitherto called Atthis heloisa differ in several particulars from 

 Mexican examples. As the latter is the rightful owner of 

 the old name, he calls the former Atthis ellioti. The chief 

 difference consists in the width of the first primary in the 

 two forms. 



30. Lawrence on the Birds of St. Vincent. 



[Catalogue of the Birds of St. Vincent, from Collections made by Mr. 

 Fred. A. Ober, under the Direction of the Smithsonian Institution, with 

 his Notes thereon. By George N. Lawrence. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. 1878, 

 p. 185.] 



This is the catalogue promised by Mr. Lawrence when de- 



* [I took the opportunity in passing Wiirzburg in 1877 of stopping to 

 see Wagler's type of this species, which, through the kindness of Dr. 

 Semper, I was able to find in the Museum of that town. I had no skins 

 for comparison with me ; but I went away with the impression that the 



