223 Recent Ornithological Publications. 



this will be done, not with the object of detracting in any way 

 from the merits of his labours, which deserve our highest com- 

 mendation, but solely with the view, which should be ever first 

 present to the true follower of science, of eliciting the truth, and 

 of enabling Dr. Jerdon, in a future edition, to correct and supply 

 any errors or omissions that may be detected in the present. In 

 the meantime we most cordially recommend Dr. Jerdon's book 

 to the notice of his brother ornithologists, and more especially 

 to all residents in India who may be inclined to devote a por- 

 tion of their leisure to the study of one of the most attractive 

 branches of natural history. 



The 3rd Number of the ' Journal of the Asiatic Society of 

 Bengal' for 1862 contains Mr. Blyth's report on the additions 

 made to the Museum of the Society up to the month of February 

 of that year. A large series of bird-skins, collected mostly in the 

 Tonghoo district of the valley of the Sitang River, and on the 

 route thither across the hills from the valley of the Irrawiidi, 

 contained several novelties — Gecinulus viridis, Cri/psii'hina cu- 

 cullata and Temenuchm burmanensis (both already described by 

 Dr. Jerdon in this Journal), Anthocichla pharjrii ("a very re- 

 markable thrush-like form''), Pycnonotus familiar is, and Osmo- 

 treron phayrii. A list of the names of the other species in 

 Colonel Phayre's collection is likewise given. 



In the 5th volume of the ' Transactions of the Royal Society 

 of Victoria ' (which we have only lately met with, although its 

 contents appear to consist of communications made to that 

 learned body in 1860) is a paper by Mr. A. Dobree "On the Nest 

 and Eggs of the Coachwhip-bird {Psophodes crepitans) and of 

 the White-fronted Ephthianura {E. albifrons), with some general 

 remarks on the nidification of Australian birds. The nest and 

 eggs of both the above-mentioned birds were unknown to Mr. 

 Gould ; and Mr. Dobree's description of them is very full and 

 satisfactory. Mr. Dobree remarks, in regard to the " often- 

 noticed scarcity of birds in Australia as compared with England," 

 that one reason of this is " undoubtedly " that so many of the 

 Australian species lay a much less number of eggs. " Amongst 



