134 Short iSotices of OridtJiohvjical Publications. 



the island. The second trip was a voyage to the "West Indies, 

 and the third a vo\ age round the world. It was on the hist- 

 mentioned trip that Mr. Nicoll, in company with Mr. E. Gr. 

 B. Meade- Waldo, saw a strange-looking creature, o£ which 

 he gives a drawing, thereby again awakening the " sea- 

 serpent " stories. Mr. Nicoll has, however, communicated 

 the matter to the Zoological Society of London, so there 

 would appear to have been more truth in the old-time sailor- 

 yarns than was popularly supposed. The ornithological work 

 done by Mr. Nicoll during these voyages was excellent, and 

 has already been referred to very fully in the pages of this 

 journal (see review of ' Ibis ' in June 1907 number, pp. 149- 

 155). The book is illustrated by 56 plates, depicting, for the 

 most part, scenery of various out-of-the-way places, and 

 several text-illustrations ; with an introduction by the Earl 

 of Crawford (the owner of the yacht). 



This deep'y interesting work is published by Witherby & Co., 

 326 High Holborn, London, at the modest price of 7*. 6cZ. 



A. K. H. 



XIII. The Aqnila: Journal of the Hungarian Ornitho- 

 logical Office. 1907 Volume. 



The account of the Migration in Hungary in the spring of 

 1906 (13th Annual Report of the Hung. Central Office of 

 Ornithology) by Jakob Schenk is one which we here in 

 South Africa can heartily appreciate ; the data are in many 

 cases exhaustive, and the report comprises 136 pp. It reflects 

 the greatest credit, not only on the compiler, but on the 

 hundred observers who took the trouble of sending in reports. 

 We could not get one-tenth of that number to assist us ! 



Another interesting article by the author of the above- 

 mentioned report is an account of the " Locust-pest on the 

 Hortobagy in 1907, and the Bird-world." Amongst the birds 

 which assisted in the destruction of the pest were the Red- 

 legged Kestrels (Cerchneis vespertinus). Pratincoles {Gl areola 

 jyratincola), and Storks (Ciconia ciconia) ; the latter birds ac- 

 counting for "enormous numbers." Titus Csorgey found 

 1600 locust-mandibles in one specimen of the White Stork, 



