040 Recently published Ornithological Works. 



Ghilan is described as P. I. hyrcanus, and the Rock- 

 Nuthatch of the central part of the Persian plateau is 

 separated as Sitta syriaca obscura. 



108. Schioler on the Wild Duck of Greenland. 



[Om den gronlandske Stokand, Anas boschax spilogastcr. Af E. Lelm 

 Schioler. Vid. Middel. Khbvn. 1905.] 



The Wild Duck of Greenland has hitherto been referred to 

 the typical Anas boscas, but the author, after comparison 

 of a full series of specimens of it with examples of the Wild 

 Duck from Denmark and other countries, comes to the 

 conclusion that it ought to be regarded as a different sub- 

 species, which he proposes to call Anas boschas spilogaster, 

 with the following characters : — " Quam forma typica major, 

 rostro paulo breviore. Mas, habitu nuptiali dorso pallidiore, 

 pectore nigro notato. Femina et avis junior colore cinereo." 



Three photographic plates illustrate this paper. 



109. Sclater (W. L.) on Nature-Study for South Africa. 



[Nature-Study for South Africa. By W. L. Sclater. Hep. S. Afr. 

 Assoc. Adv. Sci., Johannesburg Meeting, 1904.] 



Mr. Sclater has been commending "Nature-Study" to 

 the South Africans — the more so that he has been much 

 struck by the lack of recorded observations on the Mammals 

 and Birds of South Africa during the preparation of Lis 

 series of hand-books. If a course of Nature-Study were 

 introduced into the schools he hopes that some of the pupils 

 would not only become lovers of Nature, but would be able 

 and willing to assist in furthering the scanty knowledge 

 of the creatures living around them that now prevails. 

 Mr. Sclater gives as instance the ignorance of the dates of 

 the arrival and departure in South Africa of the Common 

 Swallow and other familiar European birds that visit the 

 Colony on migration. Very few, and not always satisfactory, 

 observations have as yet been recorded on this interesting 

 subject, which requires little scientific knowledge, but only 

 patience and accuracy. 



