696 Recently published Ornithulogical Works. 



Pongoland, while Mr. Haaguer gives descriptions of two 

 new Ply catchers from Portuguese South-east Africa — which 

 he names Batis sheppardi (sp. nov.) and Sheppardia gunnimji 

 (gen. et sp. nov.). 



83. ' The Auk.' 



[The Auk. A Quarterly Journal of Ornithology. Vol. xxvi. Nos. 1, 2 

 (January and April, 1909).] 



In No. 1 Mr. C. W. Richmond provides an impor- 

 tant pa|)er, namely tlie first part of " A Reprint of the 

 Ornithological Writings of C. S. Rafinesque.'' As this 

 author's pamphlets and papers are of great rarity, Mr. 

 Richmond is doing a great service to Ornithology in re- 

 producing them. He gives us on this occasion the bird 

 portion of the 'Analyse' (1815), viz. pp. 61-72 and the 

 additional matter. It will be seen that no less than 21 

 generic names are considered " citable in nomenclature " 

 by the author, though opinions may differ on this point. 



Mr. R. M. Anderson gives us an account of the nesting 

 of Bomby cilia garrula and Dendroeca striata at Fort Smith 

 on the Slave River (pp. 10, 80) ; Mr. A. Brooks writes 

 shortly on the Birds of Okanagan, British Columbia, and adds 

 three species to the Canadian list, Otus flammeoJa idahoensis, 

 Aeronautes melanoleucos, and Oroscoptes montanus ; Mr. C. 

 Sheldon furnishes a list of species observed on a hunting 

 expedition to the Upper Toklat River_, Alaska, of which 

 Heteractitis incana is the most interesting ; Mr. S. G. 

 Jewett writes on some Birds of Baker Co., Oregon ; Mr. G. 

 Eifrig on the Winter Birds of New Ontario ; Messrs. 

 J. A. Weber and N. A. Wood on various Rails in New York 

 City and Michigan ; Mr. W. Palmer on " Instinctive Still- 

 ness in Birds " and Mr. Townshend on the House-Sparrow 

 (pp. 13, 78). Mr. L. T. Cole cites an old letter of 1750 on 

 the destruction of birds at Niagara Falls. 



In No. 2 Dr. C. W. Townsend has an article on the 

 position of birds' feet in flight, including many observations 

 of his own ; he comes to the conclusion that in full flight 

 the feet are extended behind, except in the Passeres and 



