552 Rcrtntly jiitbliskcd Or/ii/holi/i/ic(tl Works. 



Ibis, 1899, p. 457);, in his third visit to Africa crossed that 

 continent from east to west, passing through Uganda, Tore, 

 and Fort George on Lake Albert-Edward, and thence 

 throuirh the " Great African Foi-est " bv the Aruwimi and 

 Congo to the west coast. 



The collection of birds n^ade during this arduous journey 

 was naturally of a somewhat " fragmentary ^' character, but 

 contains some interesting specimens. Mr. Hartert refers 

 them to 172 species, npon many of which he gives us copious 

 notes. Dates and localities are well registered. The fol- 

 lowing novelties are described in the course of the paper: — 

 Pterocles exiistus orientalis from India, Pterocles gutturuUs 

 suturatior and Ljngipicus ubsoletus in (/ens from British East 

 Africa, Muscicapa toruensis from Torn, Mirafra africana 

 transvaalensis from the Transvaal, M. a. tropicalis from 

 tropical East Africa, and M. a. athi from the Athi plains, 

 B. E. A. 



We much regret to observe that Mr. Hartert is beginning 

 to commence his papers with the lower Orders first. This 

 is a most inconvenient practice, and contrary to universal 

 custom in all other Classes of animals, although, of course, we 

 are too well aware that it is now becoming the fashion in 

 Birds. 



84. Judd on Birds as Weed-destroyers. 



[Birds as Weed-Destroyers. By Silvester D. Judd, PL.!). Itfiirinted 

 from Year-book of Department of .\g-riculture for 1898.] 



On behalf of the " Biological Survey " of the U.S. Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture; Mr. Judd shows us that certain birds 

 are useful as destroyers of noxious weeds, upon the seeds 

 of which they mainly subsist. In North America many 

 of the Finches, the Horned Larks, some of the Icteridae, 

 and the Mourning Dove belong to this category, and do a 

 large amount of good to the agriculturist. No fewer than 

 50 birds, we are told in the summary, act as weed-destroyers 

 and help to eradicate about 60 species of noxious plants. 

 The Avhole subject is well treated of in this pamphlet of 



