Recently published Ornitliolugical Works. 2^77 



venture to prophecy — at any rate, we hope — tliatsueh innova- 

 tions will not meet with much serious support. We recom- 

 mend Mr. Richmond to study Mr. Boulenger's paper " On 

 the Abuses resulting from the Application of the Rule of 

 Priority in Zoological Nomenclatuie, and on the Means of 

 protecting well-established Names/' read before Sect. D at 

 the Meeting of the British Association for the Advancement 

 of Science at Dublin in 1908. 



45. South African Ornithologists' Union, Journal of the. 



[The Journal of the South African Ornitliologists' Union. Vol. IV. 

 Nos. 2, 3, and Supplement (Oct. 1908-Jan. 1909).] 



The third number consists merely of the Titlepage, Index, 

 and so forth, but the six papers in the second number are 

 of considerable interest. First, we have the Report of the 

 Committee for Migration for the Years 1906 and 1907. 

 The species selected for observation were six, namely the 

 European Swallow, the Bee-eater, the Lesser Kestrel, the 

 Greenshank, the White Stork, and the Black-winged Pratin- 

 cole. Circulars were sent out to Members of the Union and 

 others, but the results proved disappointing, as few of the 

 accompanying cards were returned with the requisite details. 

 A good beginning has, however, been made, and we may 

 expect to gain much information in the future from the 

 fifteen South African observing-stations. 



In a second paper Mr. J. A. Bucknill commences an 

 account of the birds' eggs in the Transvaal Museum at 

 Pretoria, collected in many cases by Messrs. Austin Roberts, 

 R. H. Ivy, Krantz, Wilde, and Major Sparrow. Both nests 

 and eggs are described, and of the latter measurements are 

 given. Special attention should be called to the eggs of the 

 various Cuckoos, to that of Tardus cabatiisi (apparently 

 undescribed before), and to that of PoUohierax semitor- 

 quatus (certainly new to science) . 



In a third paper Mr. C. Gr. Davies discusses the Wild- 

 fowl and Water-birds of Matatiele, E. Griqualand ; while the 

 remaining articles are from the pen of Mr. E. C. Chubb. 

 These contain a description of the nest and eggs (with 



