Recently published Oniitholoyical Works. 687 



ill 1816 applied the name Saxicola montana to Monticola 

 saxatilis. We see no reason for this change and consider it 

 to be unnecessary. Nor can we agree to adopt Mr. Ober- 

 holser's new name " Perissospiza " for Pycnorhaniphus , 

 because " Picnoramphus " of Rosenberg (a useless synonym 

 of Sphecothera) is not identical. We also object to 

 Mr. Oberholser's version of the specific name of the Blue 

 Rock-Thrush. Linnaeus called it " cyanus," which word is a 

 substantive and cannot be altered to " cyana." 



125. Oberholser on Birds from Madayascar. 



[Catalogue of a Collection of Birds from Madagascar. By Harry C. 

 Oberholser. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. xxii. p. :i35.] 



A collection of birds made in Madagascar (1891-96), 

 chiefly in the neighbourhood of Imerina, by the Rev. James 

 AVillis, has been obtained by the U.S. National Museum. 

 It contains 110 specimens belonging to 57 species, of which 

 a catalogue with critical remarks is now given. Amongst 

 the rarities are examples of Lophotibis cristata, Ardeola 

 xanthoptera, and Newtonia amphichroa. By '' Anhinya rufa" 

 we presume Plotus levaillanti is indicated. To recently 

 changed names such as this it is better to add the usual 

 appellation, in order to assist the " slow coaches " who are 

 not always alive to the newest discoveries of their more 

 enlightened friends, 



126. Py craft's ' Story of Bird-life.' 



[The Story of Bird-life. By W. P. Pycraft. London : Geoi'ge Newnes, 

 Ld., 1900. 1 vol. 12mo. 244 pp. (Price l.?.)j 



This is a very nice little book, aud should be bought and 

 read by every lover of birds, whether scientific or unscientific. 

 We have seldom seen so much good and-mostly-correct in- 

 formation on our favourite subject compressed into so small a 

 compass, and to be acquired at so cheap a rate. The twelve 

 chapters on the bird's form and structure, its clothing, its 

 food, its flight, its courtship, its home, its nursery, its distri- 

 bution in time and space, and finally on its pedigree and 



