Recently published Ornithological Works. 625 



and the typical locality of Biziura lobata is corrected to 

 West Australia. 



The Pelecaniformes are prefaced by a lon^ and thoroujifh 

 discussion of families and genera. Mr. Mathews tells us 

 that he is a great genus-splitter, and his views are well 

 worthy of consideration ; but the majority of ornithologists 

 may possibly not proceed to such extremes. In this part, 

 however, we are only concerned with the Cormorants, Avhich 

 are placed under the genera Phalacrocorax, Stictocarbo (not 

 Australian), Mesocarbo, Hypoleucus, and Microcarbo. The 

 author considers P. filamentosus of China and Japan, 

 = P. capillutus, equivalent to Pelecanus sinensis of Sliavv 

 and Nodder ; he gives his ideas of the subspecies of Phala- 

 crocorax carbo, proposing therewith a new form — P. c. indicus. 

 We hope Mr. Mathews will make liis printer spell Phaiithon 

 properly in the next part ; no one would recognize our 

 mythological friend as Phcethon, nor did our fathers drive in 

 pheethons. 



Miller on the Bird's Wing. 



[Notes on Ptilosis, with special reference to the Feathering of the 

 Wing. By W. De W. Miller. Bull. Amer. Mus. N. H. New York, 

 xxxiv. 1915, pp. 129-140.] 



Mr. Miller during recent years has had the opportunity of 

 examining many specimens of birds in the flesh which have 

 reached the American Museum from the New York Zoo- 

 logical Park and elsewhere, and in this paper he records his 

 observations on various points of external anatomy, especially 

 in those cases where he has found himself in disagreement 

 with previously published statements. 



A useful list is given of those birds which possess or do 

 not possess the fifth secondary, a condition for which the 

 somewhat cumbrous terms of eutaxy and diastataxy or 

 quintocubitalism and aquintocubitalism have been used. He 

 finds that Philohela, the American Woodcock, differs from 

 Scolopax and all other members of the Gull-Plover group 

 in being eutaxic {i. e. having the 5th secondary present). 



