300 Recently published Ornitholoyical Works. 



in 1895, contains concise descriptions of the nests and eggs 

 of the Diurnal Birds of Prey of Australia, all of which, save 

 one, are novy more or less known. Mr. Campbell, no doubt 

 correctly, places the Accipitres as " among the most useful " 

 of the native birds in Australia. 



31. Cory on North- American Birds. 



[How to Know the Ducks, Geese, and Swans of North America. 

 4to. Boston, 1897. 



How to Know the Shore-Birds (Limicola) of North America (South 

 of Greenland and Alaska). By Charles B. Cory. 4to. Boston, 1897.] 



These are little more than illustrated pamphlets, so far as 

 mere size goes, for the former consists of only 95 pages, and 

 the latter of only 89; but the matter is excellent. The plan 

 of grouping the species according to size and colour presents 

 many inconveniences and incongruities ; for instance, the 

 Hooded Merganser finds itself in Group 3, with Teal, Tree- 

 Ducks, Scaups, and the Long-tailed Duck, merely on account 

 of its size. The descriptions, or rather diagnoses, of the 

 various species are, however, remarkably lucid; while the 

 illustrations (chiefly of the heads, but sometimes of the 

 whole bird, among the Limicolce) render identification easy. 

 These are books of a kind that we are glad to have at hand 

 for reference. 



32. Evans {H. M.) on British Birds. 



[Status of Birds in the British Isles and in Devonshire. By H. M. 

 Evans. 8vo. Plymouth, 1897.] 



In compiling this pamphlet of 30 pages the author has 

 employed his time, with some advantage to himself, in 

 sorting the species of birds in the British list into Residents, 

 Summer and Winter Visitors, Stragglers, Rarities, and Occa- 

 sional Wanderers. To the credit of Devon, he shows that 

 four-fifths of the total number have occurred in his county. 

 He has evidently taken much pains with his work, and we 

 are sure that he now knows a great deal more about birds 

 than he did when he began to write. 



