440 Recently published Ornithological Works. 



XLIII. — Notices of recent Ornithological Publications. 



[Contiuued from p. 327.] 



112. 'The Auk.' 



[' Tbe Auk,' a Quarterly Journal of Ornithology. Continuation of the 

 'Bulletin of the Nuttall Ornithological Club.' Vol. II. No. 2, April; 

 No. 3, July, 1885. Boston, Mass.] 



IVIr. J. A. Allen contributes an important paper on " Sexual 

 Selection and the Nesting of Birds '' to the April number 

 of our contemporary ; and amongst other interesting papers 

 on American birds is one by Mr. Beckham on 91 species 

 obtained at Pueblo, Colorado. IMr. Ridgway makes remarks 

 upon a fine series of that hitherto rare species, the Californian 

 Vulture ; he has also a paper on the Brown Condor, Sarco- 

 rhamphus (squutoriaUs, Sliarpc, and regards it as the young 

 of S. gryphus, which certainly retains its immature plumage 

 until at least seven years old. Dr. Shufeldt describes and 

 figures four stages of development in the bill of the Short- 

 tailed Albatross [Diomedca hrachyura), from specimens sent 

 in alcohol from Alaska. The " Analecta Ornithological^ of 

 Dr. Stcjneger reach their fifth series. A paper by Mr. 

 Brewster on a new species of Eock-Ptarmigan [Lagopus 

 welchi) from Newfoundland, and one by Dr. Merriam ou 

 change of colour in the wing-feathers of the Willow-Grouse 

 of Newfoundland, will be read with interest by the side 

 of the remarks on the Iceland Ptarmigan in our present 

 issue {supi'a, p. 377). Mr. John Murdoch^s critical notes 

 on some species of birds attributed to Point Barrow, 

 Alaska, by Mr. E. W. Nelson have called forth a re- 

 joinder in the July issue. The papers in the latter relate 

 principally to birds of the United States and Territories ; 

 but there is one which cannot be summarily disposed of, 

 bearing, as it does, the heading "The Eggs of the Knot 

 {Tringa canutus) found at last.'^ Lieut. A. W. Greely, 

 U.S.A., commander of the late unfortunate expedition to Lady 

 Franklin Sound, writes to our friend Dr. C. II. Merriam : — 

 ''The specimens of bird and egg were obtained in the vicinity 



