Recent Ornithological Publications. 201 



doubt, give in it full descriptions of these and other new species 

 discovered in other branches of natural history, we must confess 

 that we consider the diagnoses here given a little too meagre, 

 and certainly rather calculated to deter one from describing any 

 species at all resembling them than to lead to their identification. 

 Some of his novelties, such as Geobeemon ri(fip€nnis, Coryphistera 

 alaudina, Saltator multicolor, and the second species of Cariama, 

 w^hich Dr. Hartlaub has with such propriety named after its 

 learned and enterprising discoverer, must certainly be recognized 

 as most interesting additions to the class of birds. 



In the 5th number of the same Journal Dr. Cabanis has com- 

 menced a detailed account of the series of birds lately received 

 by the Berlin Museum from Costa Rica, through the exertions 

 of three Prussian travellers — Dr. von Frantzius,Dr. Hoffman, and 

 Dr. EUendorf, of whom Dr. Hoffman has, unfortunately, lost his 

 life in the country he was so energetically exploring. Of this 

 communication, which contains much of interest, especially to 

 those amongst us who have been working at the ordithology of 

 Guatemala, we propose to give a more extended notice when the 

 following portions are issued. 



When one of our good friends and colleagues published his 

 Gallinula minor os, a "new species" in the same Journal (p. 341), 

 he had surely forgotten all about ' The Ibis,^ and the Gallinnla 

 pumila already described and figured in our first volume. We 

 recommend him to write us a penitent letter asking pardon for 

 his offence, and promising never to offend again in like manner ! 



Herr Badeker's ' Eier der Europaischen Vogel ' has reached 

 its sixth part, and continues to exhibit much the same merits and 

 failings as those on which we have before remarked ('Ibis,' i. 

 p. 400). Thus, though not a few of the eggs of each species 

 are well represented, we seldom are told on whose authority 

 we may rely for the genuineness of the specimens figured. 

 The writer of the letter-press, while regarding the Barn-Ovvl 

 of North America [Strix pratincola) as identical with that of 

 Europe {S. flammea), yet considers Lagopus montonus distinct 

 from L. mutus, — the difference between these latter being, we 



VOL, III. P 



