560 Becently jjublished Ornithological Works. 



ill limited areas, and hopes to arrive at more reliable conclu- 

 sions from their joint evidence, both as to the earliest arrival 

 of a species and the arrival of" the bulk." And "the bulk/' 

 which observers are specially requested to note, is that of 

 flocks of different species rather than flocks of each separate 

 species. The author considers, moreover, that in the case 

 of individual records the best plan is to select the date at 

 -which the species had arrived at half of the stations, though 

 he admits that even this method leaves room for error. 



By means of graphs curves may be traced of the move- 

 ments of any particular form, and specimens are given of 

 such curves compared with similar curves in each case for 

 temperature. 



The method proposed appears to be an improvement on 

 those used at present, and we shall watch with interest its 

 fuller development. 



80. Van Oort on Birds from New Guinea. 



[Note XXI. On New Guinea Birds. II. By Dr. E. D. Van Oort. 

 Notes Leyd. Mus. vol. xxx. p. 225.] 



Dr. Van Oort gives an account of three collections of 

 birds from New Guinea lately received by the Leyden 

 Museum. Two of these, from Western New Guinea, were 

 presented by Mr. Palmer van den Brock and Mr. P. J. van 

 Cloven, while the third (from the Owen-Stanley Mountains) 

 was purchased of Mr. J. Henkelman. 



Tlie specimens are referred to about 60 species and sub- 

 species, amongst which Cyclopsitta desmaresti intermedia^ 

 Orthonyx temmincki victoriana (from Mt. Victoria, 12,000 ft.), 

 and Mach(Erirhynchus nigripectus harterti are described as 

 new subspecies. Some good Paradise-birds are represented 

 in the series — Cnemophilus macgregori, Pteridophora alberti, 

 and Macgregoria pulchra. One adult specimen of the curious 

 Paramythia montium from the Owen-Stanley Mountains is 

 likewise catalogued. 



