Recently published Ornithological Works. 627 



be observed^ however, that the letterpress has been completely 

 rewritten, a systematic arrangement having been adopted 

 instead of the plan pursued in the original lecture, as 

 published in the volume of the 'Proceedings' of the Fourth 

 International Ornithological Congress. 



Mr. Rothschild commences his book with the extinct 

 Passeres, of which he registers some 25 in his letterpress, 

 though these are not all figured. They are mostly insular 

 forms, which are obviously more likely to become extirpated 

 than those of a continent. The Hawaian Islands, New 

 Zealand, and the Mauritian group supply most of the 

 examples of the Passerine Order, amongst which we may point 

 to Fregilujms^ Ciridops, and Moho as being perhaps the 

 most remarkable for form and colour. Then, after the 

 single extinct Goatsucker — the very curious tubular- 

 nostrilled Siphonorhis of Jamaica, — come the Parrots, of 

 which no less than 25, now lost to the earth's Avifauna, are 

 known, but have left more or less certain proofs of their 

 former existence. Among the Parrots, again, we tind many 

 insular species, and some, such as Lophopsittaciis mauritianus 

 (only known from an old drawing and a few bones), of a 

 most remarkable character. It appears that a group of large 

 Macaws [Ara), all of which have now perished, once inhabited 

 the West India Islands. Mr. Rothschild figures six of them 

 and describes a seventh. Passing over some smaller groups 

 we now come to the extinct Anseres, of which twelve species 

 are described, but only one is figured. This is a remarkable 

 form — the "Labrador Duck'' [Camptolcemus labraduriiis), 

 allied to the Eiders. It was formerly a regular winter 

 visitant on the Atlantic coast, but has now disappeared 

 altogether without any apparent reason. The Ducks are 

 followed by Prosobonia leucoptera and jEchmorhynchus 

 cancellatus, two remarkable Waders of the Pacific, of which 

 excellent figures by Mr. Lodge are given. The Rails, owing 

 perhaps to their feeble powers of flight, present numerous 

 recently extinct forms. Mr. Rothschild includes twenty of 

 them in his volume, and figures some of the more remarkable. 



