Recently published Ornitlwlogical Works. 373 



possess, and notes on writers on British Birds quoted by 

 such authors as Aklrovandi (e. g., Elliot & Wotton) ; certainly 

 he should add accounts of the later editions of White's 

 ' Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne/ which he 

 disposes of at present in one line. 



In connexion with the work of John Cains, Evans's trans- 

 lation in the Appendix to 'Turner on Birds* is not of the 

 whole, but only of extracts. 



42. Penard on the Birds of Guiana. 



[De Vogels van Guyana (Surinam, Cayenne en Demerara). Door 

 Frederik Paul Penard en Arthur Philip Penard. 1 vol., 8vo. Para- 

 maribo. London : Kegau Paul & Co. 587 pp.] 



This is the first portion of a new and original work on 

 the birds of Guiana, prepared by two brothers — Messrs. F. P. 

 and A. P. Penard of Paramaribo. The book, we are given 

 to understand, is the result of a long and arduous study of 

 the subject under most difficult circumstances, of which the 

 want of many necessary books was perhaps one of the 

 smallest. It is chiefly noteworthy on account of the 

 information which it contains on the life-history and habits 

 of many species previously little known except by name. 

 Besides recording their own observations, the authors have 

 received great assistance in this part of their labours from 

 numerous assistant observers, including native Indians, who 

 make their home in the forests and on the rivers of Guiana, 

 and live by shooting and fishing. 



Besides the systematic part, which, beginning with the 

 Pygopodes, contains a survey of all the known species of the 

 birds of Guiana up to the end of the Picarise, the authors 

 give a general and very interesting account of the local 

 distribution of the birds in the various districts and at 

 different seasons of the year. They also endeavour to 

 explain the rather startling ornaments borne by the males 

 of some birds by suggesting their origin from " mental 

 peculiarities " induced by dances, songs, fights, and other 

 habits, and not simply from what is called " sexual selection.^* 

 Thus the erectile frontal crest of certain Tyrant-birds is 



SER. IX. VOL. III. 2 c 



