SJiort Notices of Ornkholoffieal Puhlications. 157 



of the Tambourine Dove (^'J'r/mpanistria tympanlstria), by 

 Dr. A. G. Butler. Dr. Butler succeeded in getting his pair 

 of birds to sit and bring forth a pair of young, one of which 

 died at 19 days of age from the eflects of falling out of 

 the nest. Dr. Butler gives a complete description of the 

 feathering at this age. The other young bird lived to 

 maturity. The development is apparently much slower than 

 that of the young of Turtle Doves, and the young Tam- 

 bourine could not even fly at 3 weeks old. 



The September number contains nothing of special interest 

 to South African ornithologists. 



The October number contains an interesting article on 

 Hybrid Ploceidse, by Dr. A. Butler. He gives a resume 

 of all known hybrids which have occurred in this family. 

 There is also an account of the breeding in captivity of our 

 Red-headed Finch {Amadina eri/fhrocephala), by W. G. 

 Teschemaker. According to the author's interesting obser- 

 vations, this species is very slow in the development of the 

 young. Amongst the notes, &c., we see that Mr. J. H. Gurney 

 successfully bred the Jackal Buzzard (Bitteojakal) : we wish 

 him jo}-. A. H. 



4. The Proreedh)[/s of tlie United States National Museinn, 

 vol. XXX., contains a paper by Mr. Harry C. Oberholser, 

 Assistant Ornithologist to the Department of Agriculture, 

 on " Birds from German and British East Africa.'^ This 

 paper calls for little comment beyond the fact that we 

 have to record some more of the authors " corrections '^ 

 regarding the nomenclature of our birds. We fail to see 

 why such a well-known generic name as " Cossyplia " should 

 be changed just because a beetle happens to bear the name of 

 " Cossypluis.''^ 



5. Annual Report, Giza Zoological Gardens, Egypt. 



We have received the Seventh Annual Report of the 

 Director of the Zoological Gardens at Giza, near C'airo, 

 Egypt. A feature of the gardens is a large lawn on Mhioh 



