444 Recently puhHshed Ornithological Works. [Ibis, 



The distribution of Columha gymnophthahna. By Ernst Hartert, Ph.D. 

 Nov. Zool. xxiii. 1916, p. 341. 



The name of the central European Cormorant. Id. ibid. p. 318.] 



The rare bird witb wliicli Dr. Hartert's first note deals is 

 CaUceops periophthahnica , a jNIuscicapine bird obtained a 

 good many years ago by the late John Whitehead in 

 Luzon. The single extant specimen was not collected by 

 Mr. Whitehead himself, but purchased by him from an 

 Indian in Manilla, and is now in the Tring Museum. 



It was described as the type of a new genus by 

 Mr. Ogilvie-Grant, Avho believed its nearest ally to be 

 Arses, an Australian and Papuan genus. 



Dr. Hartert considers that it is very close to another 

 Philippine genus, Xeocephus or Zeocephus Bp., from which 

 it only differs in having a smaller bill and a larger crest. 

 A coloured plate enables us to obtain a good idea of the 

 peculiarities of this unique si)ccies. 



Dr. Hartert has made an interesting- discovery in regard 

 to the structure of the wing of the Little Bustard, which 

 seems never to have been previously mentioned. In the 

 male only, the fourth primary is much shorter than the 

 third or fifth, and both the outer and inner webs are 

 curiously narrowed about the middle' of their length. 

 Dr. Hartert suggests that the gaps Avhich would be found 

 in the outspread wing by the narrowing of the fourtli 

 primary may possibly have something to do with the piping 

 note often noticed with every beat of the wings of this bird 

 during flight. The moult of the Little Bustard differs from 

 that of the other Bustards, except Sypheotis aurita, the 

 Indian FJorican. The male has a striking seasonal change. 

 The winter plumage, which closely resembles that of the 

 female, is assumed with the total moult after the breeding- 

 season. In the spring a second partial moult occurs (not 

 aftVcting the wings and tail), and in this way the lavender- 

 grey, black-and-white colouring of the nuptial dress is 

 assumed. Finally, Dr. Hartert proposes to recognise two 

 races of the Little Bustard — a western, Otis tetrax tetrax, 

 breeding- in North Africa, Spain and parts of France, and 

 an eastern, Otis tetrax orientalis (here described — type from 



