252 Recently published Ornithological Works. [Ibis, 



XV. — Notices of recent Ornithological Publications. 



Baker on Indian Game Birds. 



[The Game Birds of India, Burma, and Ceylon. By E. C. Stuart 

 Baker. Part xx. : with a coloured Plate. Journ. Bombay N, H. See. 

 1916, pp. 623-6.38.] 



In this instalment of Mr. Baker's review of the Indian 

 Game-birds the genus Crossoptilon, containing the Eared 

 Pheasants of the higher Himalayas and Tibet, are con- 

 sidered, and some very useful and valuable remarks on the 

 classification and taxonomy of this interesting group is. 

 given. 



Mr. Baker recognises three species, two of which are 

 divided into two subspecies, making five forms in all ; they 

 are separated partly on their general colour and partly on 

 the number of tail-feathers, which varies from twenty to 

 twenty-four, Seebohm's G. leucurum, obtained near the 

 Sokpo Pass in Tibet, is considered identical witli C. 

 drouynii collected by Pere David at Moupin, and this 

 latter is placed as a subspecies of C. tibetanum, the type- 

 form occupying a western and north-western habitat as 

 compared with C. t. drouynii. The darker grey C. auritum 

 and C. harmani are considered to constitute a second pair, the 

 former in western China, the latter in the Abor and Mishmi 

 hills. The third species, C. mantchuricwn, appears to be 

 confined to Manchuria and north-eastern China. A beautiful 

 coloured plate by Gronvold of C harmani enhances the value 

 of this interesting paper. 



Despott on Maltese Breeding Birds. 



[The Breeding Birds of Malta. By Giuseppe Despott. Zoologist, 

 1916, pp. 161-181.] 



Mr. Despott, the Curator of the Natural History Museum 

 at Malta, has already sent us a new list of the birds of that 

 island, which we noticed in 'The Ibis' for July of last year. 

 He has also written a little account of the birds which breed 

 in the island and of their nesting-habits ; the number is 



