212 Recently published Ornithological Works. 



poliura, Temm., in his paper on Dominica birds (Proc. U.S. 

 Nat. Mus. i. p. 62) is not that species, but is apparently un- 

 described; and for it he proposes the name C. dominicana. 

 The receipt of a specimen of C. poliura from Tobago at once 

 showed him the difference between the two. There has been 

 no slight confusion on the subject of C. poliura ; but the whole 

 matter was set straight by Sclater in 1870 (P. Z. S. p. 329), 

 and by Finsch (/. c. p. 558) . It will there be seen that the 

 C. poliura of Sclater's article on Cypselidse, to which Mr. 

 Lawrence refers, is not that species, but C. cinereicauda 

 (Cass.). Of the Martinique species of Buffon, to which Mr. 

 Lawrence alludes, we have had no recent tidings ; but is it 

 not probably the same as that of Dominica ? 



34. Cordeaux on the Migration of Birds. 



[On some Peculiarities in the Migration of Birds in the Autumn and 

 Winter of 1877-78. Quart. Journ. Meteorol. Soc. 1878, p. 157.] 



In this short paper Mr. Cordeaux shows how the mild 

 winter of 1877-78 influenced the migration of birds, delaying 

 their appearance to a great extent, and on the advent of short 

 periods of cold, causing the sudden appearance of large num- 

 bers of certain species. Mr. Cordeaux^s residence is favour- 

 ably situated for such observations ; and he makes good use 

 of his opportunities, not only by carefully noting what passes 

 in his own district, but also by comparing his records with 

 those of such naturalists as the veteran ornithologist of 

 Heligoland,, Herr Gatke, and, by thus enlarging the area of 

 observation, accumulating facts that must some day assist 

 materially in explaining the problem of the migration of birds. 



35. A. Milne-Edwards on the Genus Mesites. 



[Remai'ques sur le Genre Mesites et sur la place qu'il doit occuper dans 

 la s6rie ornithologique. Ann. Sc. Nat. s^r. 6, 1878, art. 6.] 



This is an amplification of a short paper pubhshed last 

 year in the ' Comptes Reudus,^ which we have already noticed 

 (Ibis, 1878, p. 470). Prof. Milne-Edwards now goes into 

 further details of his subject, and on the plate accompanying 

 the present paper depicts some of the chief features of the 

 skeleton of this singular form. 



