Recently published Ornithological Works. 375 



Laccadives, which have not been previously examined, the 

 birds and other animals obtained were exclusively common 

 Indian species, and the general conclusion arrived at is that 

 " the Laccadives have no distinctive fauna or flora/' The fol- 

 lowing " novelties " are described : — Estrilda burmanica from 

 Rangoon, Alcippe bourdilloni from Travancore, and Monti- 

 fringilla blanfordi and M. mandellii from Sikim. 



36. Sharpens edition of Layard's ' Birds of South Africa.' 



[The Birds of South Africa. By E. L. Layard, F.Z.S. &c. New edi- 

 tion, thoroughly revised and augmented, by R. Bowdler Sharpe, F.L.S., 

 F.Z.S., &c., Senior Assistant, Zoological Department, British Museum. 

 Part iv.] 



After what has been said on the subject of antedating in 

 ^Nature' (vol. xiv. pp. 309, 330, 351, 369, 392, 424, 474) 

 in reference to this very work, we are certainly rather sur- 

 prised that Mr. Sharpe should continue in the face of the 

 strictures of his brother naturalists to issue another number 

 in March 1877, dated '' May 1875.'' It is, we suppose, the 

 fault of the publisher, who wishes to use up his old covers ; 

 but we cannot consider the author otherwise than co-respon- 

 sible. 



So far as we can tell, Saxicola shelleyi from Victoria Falls, 

 S. anderssoni from Great Namaqua Land, Drymceca hypoxan- 

 tha from Natal, and Acrocephalus fulvo -lateralis from Natal 

 are now described for the first time. But we must again re- 

 peat [cf. Ibis, 1875, p. 506) that the omission of all syno- 

 nyms is in our opinion a very great demerit in the present 

 edition of Mr. Layard's work, as it is only by reading the 

 context that these and other points can be ascertained. 



37. Heuglin's 'Journey in North-eastern Africa.' 



[Reise in Nordost-Afrika. Sehilderungen aus dem Gehiete der Beni- 

 Amer und Habab, mit zoologischen Skizzen und einem Fiihrer fiir Jagd- 

 reisende, von M. Th. v. Heuglin. Zwei Bande. Braunschweig, 1877.] 



These volumes give an account of the late Th. v. Heuglin's 

 last African journey. In January and February 1875 Heug- 

 lin made a short excursion along the mountainous district 



2c2 



