New and forthcoming Ornithological Works, 6fc. 183 



a gigantic edition. It much resembles the last-named Owl, 

 which we have also received from Fantee, but is double the size 

 at least ; and the body underneath is more evenly barred with 

 white, so that it does not show those great white blotches which 

 induced Temminck to assign the name of leucosticta to its smaller 

 representative. Mr. Gurney, who has seen our specimen, agrees 

 that it is quite new to science. 



This species is dedicated by us to Captain G. E. Shelley, with 

 an ardent wish that the researches he is now prosecuting in the 

 dangerous climate of Western Africa may be rewarded with the 

 same success which has attended his well-known studies of bird- 

 life in the less fatal and more accessible country of Egypt. 



XXIV. — New and forthcoming Ornithological Works, &^c. 



Perhaps at no time since ornithology became a recognized 

 science has so much activity been shown by oi-nithologists as at 

 the present moment; for though there appears to be little 

 movement in some countries which were once foremost in their 

 contributions, these deficiencies are more than compensated by 

 the energy displayed in others. 



We propose to give a short account of some of the new pub- 

 lications that have come under our notice during the last few 

 months, and also to announce to our readers a prospect of 

 certain other works being shortly issued from the press. 

 Besides these additions to ornithological literature, the works 

 already mentioned in these pages have been making steady 

 progress ; and some, such as Sharpens Monograph of the Alce- 

 dinid(B and Marshall's Capitonid(B, have been completed. At 

 the same time the various journals of scientific societies open 

 to such subjects abound with ornithological papers. As these 

 latter are, or ought to be, in the hands of most of our readers, 

 and as they will be referred to on a subsequent occasion, it is 

 not our intention to draw special attention to them, but only to 

 such publications as are not so readily accessible. 



Several works on the birds of our own islands have recently 

 made their appearance. The first number of a new edition of 



