102 Recently published Ornithological Works. 



that the natives are able to obtain so many birds with their 

 blow-pipes. The birds that frequent the more open parts of 

 the country are Pratincola sybilla, Cisticola madac/ascarietisis, 

 Eurystomus madagascariensis, and Hypsipetes ourovang. The 

 peculiar little Dromaocercus wanders quietly amongst the 

 grass, beside the streams in the glades of the forest, and is 

 never seen perching, except in some natural-history plates ! 

 The Leptosumus discolor, a rather remai^kable bird, delights 

 in the outlying forest, where his peculiar cry of dre-dres is 

 frequently heard. 



" The Cuculus rochii begins his spring song in October, or 

 early part of November, and farms out his young there, as in 

 all other countries. His note changes considerably just be- 

 fore he takes his departure, whether to the low countries or 

 across the sea, T cannot say. The egg is very unlike that of 

 any other Cuckoo, and varies to some extent in the marking. 

 The nests it most frequents are those of the Pratincola sybilla 

 and the Cisticola madagascariensis, although its egg is often 

 found in the nests of Cossypha shaipei and Cop sychus pica. 

 The nesting-season in Madagascar extends from November to 

 February or March, the common Foudia being amongst the 

 last of the nest-builders." 



11. De Vei'teuiVs ' Trinidad' (Second edition.) 



[Trinidad : its geography, natural resources, admiuisitration, present con- 

 dition, and prospects. By L. A. A. De Verteuil, M.D.P. Second edition. 

 Cassell & Co., London, Paris, and New York : 1884, 1 Vol. Bvo. 

 434 pp.] 



So little is done by the numerous English residents in the 

 West Indies to aid the cause of Natural History that we are 

 glad to call attention to the second edition of De VerteuiFs 

 work on Trinidad recently issued. It contains two chapters 

 on the birds of the island, one by the author himself under 

 the general head of the " Animal Kingdom " (pp. 89-97), and 

 another specially devoted to the Birds by Mr. A. Leotaud, 

 well known as the writer of the ' Oiseaux de la Trinidad ' 

 (pp. 365-381). Mr. Leotaud^s list of species is old-fashioned 

 in its nomenclature and occasionally, we fear, incorrect. 



