Recently published Ornithological Works. 3G0 



and we must await the Final Report before definitely eriti- 

 cizing ; but certainly a good beginning has been made by 

 studying the bird in its normal state and the conditions on 

 which the health of moors depends ; while beyond this Mr. E, 

 A. Wilson reports on the specimens examined and their crop- 

 contents, Mr. A. E. Shipley on the Parasites, Mr. J. C. Fryer 

 on the Insect Life of Grouse Moors, Mr. H. Hammond Smith 

 on the observation-area established at Frimley, in Surrey, and 

 Mr. R. H. Rastall on grits found in the gizzards of Game Birds. 

 Full discussions of the Bacteriology, the Causes of 

 Mortality, the Economic Value of Grouse Shootings, and 

 especially the subject of Heather-burning, so important a 

 factor in the health of a moor, have been held over until the 

 Final Report stage. 



36. ' Irish Naturalist.' 



[The Irish Naturalist. A Monthly Joiiraal of General Irish Natural 

 History. January to December 1908.] 



Comparatively few papers on Ornithology are to be found 

 in the pages of the ' Irish Naturalist ' for last year, but in 

 April Dr. Scharff writes on the Determination of Sex in 

 the Woodcock, in June Mr. A. Williams discusses Bird- 

 Protection in Co. Dublin, followed by an article in September 

 on Bird Life in Dublin Bay, and in October Prof. Patten 

 gives an accout of his '' Rambles on Achill Island.'^ 



Unfortunately Dr. Scharff's careful investigations were 

 fruitless, and no reliable distinguishing character could 

 be discovered between the male «and female Woodcock. 

 Mr. W^illiams's papers will be read with interest, and the 

 titles speak for themselves. Prof. Patten spent more than a 

 fortnight in September in Achill, and occupied himself in 

 watching and photographing the interesting birds he met 

 with, but he does not furnish us with any new records. 



In the " Notes " we may call attention to accounts of the 

 overland flight of Sea-birds by Messrs. Praeger, Harvie- 

 Brown, and Ussher; to the first occurrence of Richard's 

 Pipit in Ireland (p. 59) ; to observations on Great Shear- 

 waters and Fulmars off the coast by Mr. Ussher ; to notices 



