Recent Ornithological Publications. 401 



the "Beagle"), and Dr. Tarns and Dr. Albers, who subsequently 

 collected a certain number of mollusks in these islands at two 

 diflFerent epochs, has even alluded to their zoology. M. Arthur 

 Morelet, already well known to science for his labours in con- 

 chology, and for the collections in other branches of natural his- 

 tory with which he has enriched the French National Museum 

 in the Jardin des Plantes, visited the Azores in 1857, in com- 

 pany with M.Drouet, with the object of studying the Malacolo- 

 gical fauna of the Archipelago, and passed six months in this 

 occupation. The volume now published contains the results of 

 their investigations into this branch of zoology, and at the same 

 time gives a general sketch of the whole fauna, though M. 

 Morelet acknowledges with regret that they did not pay much 

 attention to other objects besides those to which they particu- 

 larly devoted themselves. 



It is well known that when the Azores, so named from the 

 abundance of hawks {Aqores, Latine Astures) met with upon 

 them when first visited, were occupied by the Portuguese in 

 the sixteenth century, these islands did not possess any human 

 inhabitants. What is still more surprising, is that, with the 

 exception of birds, they were also destitute of any species of 

 vertebrated animal, and that at the present moment the only 

 indigenous mammal is a species of Bat [Vespertilio leisleri) , itro- 

 bably imported from the North of Europe. The Avi-fauna of 

 the Azores embraces, according to M. Morelet, about 30 species 

 of residents and regular visitors, which are all strictly of the 

 European type. The Woodcock [Scolopax rusticola), the Bed 

 Partridge (CaccaSw rw/fl), the Quail [Coturnix dactylisonans) , the 

 Wood Pigeon, and certain Water-fowl, are common, and render 

 to the islanders an abundant supply of game in the season. 

 The other birds are mostly, as far as M. Morelet can tell us, of 

 common and well-known species; though, singularly enough, 

 the only two of which, as we believe, M. Morelet brought home 

 examples, are of great interest, being, one, a new species of true 

 Finch [Fi-ingiUa moreleti), and the other the larger European 

 Bullfinch, named by M. de Selys Pyrrhula coccinea. We have 

 already* noticed Dr. Pucheran's notes on these two species, which 

 * Ibis, 185f), p. 322, et 1860, p. 93. 



