Recent Ornithological Puhlicutions. 221. 



Ornithology/ containing a selection of fifty lithograplis repre- 

 senting chiefly unfigurcd birds of Southern India. Besides these 

 more important undertakings, Dr. Jerdon has written many 

 articles on the various points bearing upon the ornithology of 

 India in the scientific journals of that country, and has on more 

 than one occasion shown the interest he takes in ' The Ibis/ 

 by sending communications to these pages. Above all, Dr. 

 Jerdon has the very great advantage of being able to speak of a 

 very large proportion of the species of birds included in his 

 present work from personal observation. During his quarter of 

 a century's uninterrupted residence in India, he has diligently 

 examined the fauna of the various districts to which his official 

 duties have called him, and, with the exception of the North- 

 western Provinces, Punjaub and Sindh, has traversed again and 

 again the length and breadth of continental India. ]\Ir. Blyth, 

 well known as the greatest living authority upon Indian ornitho- 

 logy, has assisted Dr. Jerdon in the progress of the present work 

 through the press, and, as we are informed in our author's pre- 

 face (where a full and handsome acknowledgment of Mr. 

 Blyth's great services to the cause of Indian natural history is 

 given), "has added much valuable information from his own 

 knowledge and experience." It is with great satisfaction also 

 we learn that the Indian Government, who, we believe, up to the 

 present time have done little in any way to aid the progress of 

 science in India, have to some extent assisted the present under- 

 taking. The late viceroy. Earl Canning, placed the author on 

 special duty, with the view of giving him leisure to prosecute 

 his researches in any quarter, and to devote himself to the pro- 

 gress of his book through the press; and the present viceroy, 

 to whom the work is dedicated, has followed the worth}^ example 

 set him by his predecessor. 



We shall not now say more respecting this remarkable work, 

 which, we believe, signalizes the opening of a new era of pro- 

 gress in the hitherto comparatively neglected field of natural 

 history in our country's foreign possessions, but, in compliance 

 with the author's invitation for assistance, we shall endeavour, 

 on the final completion of the work, to give some sort of com- 

 mentary upon it. Dr. Jerdon will believe us when we say that 



