182 Recently published Ornithological Works. 



The Tianshan Range borders the great desert of the 

 Tarim on the north^ rising in places to a height of over 

 7000 feet and forming a portion of the central mass of the 

 Asiatic continent. Being within the limits of the Palsearctic 

 Region, although not far removed from the unascertained 

 northern boundary of the Oriental Region, the Tianshan is 

 of special interest to workers in Palsearctic Ornithology and 

 deserves our closest attention. Herr Schalow has given us 

 a list of the more recent authorities on the birds of the 

 district, which are not numerous. It will be observed that 

 Russian naturalists (Koslow, Loudon, Bianchi) are, as might 

 have been expected, prominent among them. 



Herr Schalow does not state the exact number of speci- 

 mens in Dr. Merzbacher's collection, but we believe it was 

 not very numerous. Dr. Merzbacher did not himself collect 

 birds, but employed two taxidermists to do so. The speci- 

 mens thus obtained are referred by Herr Schalow to about 

 1 50 species, which, as a rule, are well-known Palsearctic species, 

 or, in some cases, we may say subspecies, for Herr Schalow 

 is a strong advocate of trinomials, and gives three names to 

 the greater number of the birds referred to. There are a 

 few Himalayan forms in the list, such as Mycerobas carneipes, 

 Carduelis caniceps, and RuticiUa grandis, but the majority 

 are northern mountaineers. 



It is quite certain that there are many more species of 

 birds in the Tiautshan than are represented in the present 

 collection, and we are glad to hear that Dr. Merzbacher has 

 returned to that country and may probably procure an 

 additional series. 



20. Stuart Baker on Indian Ducks. 



[The Indian Ducks and their Allies. By E. C. Stuart Baker, F.Z.S., 

 M.B.O.U. With 30 coloured Plates, by H. Gronvold, G. E. Lodge, and 

 .T. G. Keulenians. 1 vol., large 8vo. 292 pp. Bombay and London, 

 1908. Loudon : 11. II. Porter, 7 Princes Street, Cavendish Square, W.] 



Mr. Stuart Baker has contributed to the Journal of the 

 Bombay Natural History Society a series of articles on the 

 Indian Ducks and other Chenomorphae. He now reprints 



