52 Short JS^otices of Ornithological Fuhlications. 



VIII. The Ibis, a Quarterly Journal of Ornithology. 



The October number contains;, inter alia, the following' 

 papers of general or specific interest to students of African 

 Ornithology : — 



1. " On Tongue-marks in Young Birds.'* By Collingwood 



Ingram, M.B.O.U. 

 This is an account, illustrated by woodcuts' of the shading 

 and spotting found on the tongues of many nestling birds. 

 The reason for this peculiar decoration is not very evident^ 

 and the author does not agree with Mr. Pycraft's suggestion 

 that it may be a guide to the parents when feeding their 

 young in obscurely lighted places. Mr. Ingram considers 

 that, however mrch this may hold good where the white 

 marking is concerned, it does not exjilain the reason of the 

 black markings in otiier birds, which latter are usually 

 possessed by birds which breed in open and fairly light 

 fiituations. 



2. " On the Birds procured by Mr. W. N. McMillan's 



Expedition to the Sobat anil Baro Rivers.'^ By 

 W. R. Ogilvie-Grant. 

 The history of a large collection made in the Anglo- 

 Egyptian Sudan, which, however, contained few items of 

 special interest. Amongst these, however, is a new species 

 of Waxbill (Estrilda macmillani, Ogilvie-Grant). A speci- 

 men (?) of the Natal Nightjar {Caprimulgus natalensis) 

 was procured at Baro River on 15th January, 1907, thus 

 extending the known range of this bird a long way to the 

 north. 



3. " Suggestions as to the Functions of the Entotympanic 



Muscle in the Common Snipe.^* By W. H. Workman, 



M.B.O.U. 

 An article descriptive of the mui-cle which admits of the 

 pliable and soft anterior part of the mandible being raised. 

 Mr. Workman suggests that this partial uplifting of the 

 extremity of the mandible is of use to the bird when probing 

 in the mud for food, as if it opened its bill for its entire 



