303 Recently published Ornithological Works. 



bii'ds have also been written upon ; but as to all these items 

 the author gives us a vast amount of information which has 

 never been put together before. No one can have an idea 

 of how good a book this is until he has read it through. 

 It is also profusely illustrated, many of the head-pieces being 

 reproductions of quaint old engravings, while the vignettes 

 are often of great beauty and artistic merit. The frontispiece 

 is after a picture by Lancret, representing two men engrossed 

 with the management of their clap-nets, while two young 

 ladies are taking a sentimental interest iu the operation^ and 

 two others are displaying that superb indifference to the whole 

 affair which may be seen^ multiplied a thousand fold, at any 

 Eton and Harrow match. But they are not wearing hats 

 with feathers, and in no way interfere with the enjoyment of 

 others. 



42. North on the Nesting of three Australian Birds. 



[Descriptions of tlie Nests and Eo:g8 of three Species of Australian 

 Birds. By Alfred .J. North, C.M.Z.S. Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. Wales, 

 1897, p. 5G.] 



Mr. North describes the nests and eggs of Cracticus rufes- 

 cens De Vis, Sphenura broadbenti, and Dendrocygna eytoni. 

 It appears from what is stated to be by no means as yet 

 definitely certain that Cracticus riifescens is different from 

 C. quoyi ; at any rate it seems that in adult male plumage 

 C. rufescens is black. 



43. Oates's Game-Birds of India. 



[A Manual of the Game-Birds of India. Part I. Land-Birds. By 

 Eugene W. Gates. 12ino. Bombay, 1898.J 



This handy little volume will, we have no doubt, be ac- 

 ceptable to the many '' gunners " resident in India, Avho 

 would like to know something more about the birds they 

 shoot for sport and " the pot " than their mere ordinary 

 names. The present part is devoted to the land-birds, leaving 

 the water-birds to be treated of in a second volume. It 

 contains an account of the Sand-Grouse, Hemipodes, Galli- 

 naceous birds, Megapodes, and Bustards : altogether 88 



