Recent Onnthological Publications. 103 



recent communication to the Zoological Society, Poephila pad- 

 doni was discovered in New Caledonia as long ago as the year 

 1774 by the Forsters, who accompanied Capt. Cook in his second 

 voyage. It is described and figured by Latham in his ' Synop- 

 sis ' (vol. iii. p. 287. pi. 48) as the " Parrot Finch/' which name 

 was latinized by Gmelin into Fringilla psittacea. It belongs 

 strictly to the genus Erythrura. We are not aware that the 

 curious process attached to the anterior extremity of the ischium, 

 mentioned by ]Mr. Eyton as occurring in the Cuculidce and their 

 affines, has been previously noticed as being peculiar to this 

 group, although some allusion to it appears to be made in Dr. 

 OpePs elaborate paper on Cuculus canonis published in Cabanis's 

 Journal for 1858. Mr. Tristram's discovery of a species of the 

 purely African genus Amydrus in Palestine is certainly remark- 

 able. 



'The Zoologist' for 1858 contains, as usual, a number of 

 notes on the habits of birds and the occurrence of rare species, 

 which must always be of great interest to the naturalist. 



The second volume of the ' Catalogue of the Birds in the 

 Museum of the Hon. East India Company, by Thomas Hors- 

 field and Frederic IMoore*,' recently issued, is the continua- 

 tion of a very important work, which we hope soon to see com- 

 plete. There is as yet no such thing as a scientifically-prepared 

 catalogue of the birds of any of the larger museums f of Europe ; 

 and it will be no small honour to produce the first of such a 

 series. Moreover, the numerous notes concerning the habits of 

 species added to the synonyms in this work render it almost a 

 book of light reading for the general naturalist, as well as a 

 valuable work of reference to those who are engaged in studying 

 the ornithology of the East. We may call particular attention 

 to the notices given of the very strange habits of various species 

 of Hornbills {Buceros) during the period of incubation (p. 587 

 et seq.). Similar facts were noted by Dr. Livingstone J in his 

 recent journey in Africa concerning Toccus erythrorhynchus. If 

 we have any fault to find with the book, it is that the generic 



* London, Allen and Co., Leadenhall Street. 



t We should except perhaps that of Bremen, of which a carefully pre- 

 pared catalogue has heen printed by Dr. Hartlaub. 



+ Livingstone's Missionary Travels in South Africa, p. 613. 



