Short Notices of Ornithological Publications. 49 



We have also a note on a rare Weaver-bird (Othi/ph antes 

 hatesi) bv W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, illustrated by a coloured 

 lithograph by Gronvold. An account of the Annual General 

 Meeting of the British Ornithologists' Union also appears in 

 this number. The Membership at the date of the Meeting 

 consisted of 424 Ordinary, 3 Extra-Ordinary, 9 Honorary, 

 9 Colonial, and 20 Foreign Members. Dr. F. DuCane 

 Godman, F.R.S,, was re-elected President, and Mr. J. L. 

 Bonhote, M.A., Secretary. 13 gentlemen were elected 

 Ordinary Members at the Meeting, and 4 ladies Honorary 

 Lady Members. 



A resolution of regret and grief at the death of that 

 intrepid explorer and enthusiastic ornithologist Capt. Boyd 

 Alexander* was passed. This number also contains a 

 biographical notice of the late Professor H. H. Giglioli, 

 of Florence. 



8. J'he AvicuUural Magazine, November 1909 to April 

 1910. 



The November number of this popular little Journal 

 contains two papers of interest to South Africans. The first, 

 on the nesting of the Spotted-backed Weaver (Ploceus spilo- 

 notus), calls for no comment. The second, on the breeding 

 of the Quail Finch {Ortygospiza polyzona), is one of those 

 lengthy anecdotal papers we have learnt to expect from the 

 pen of Mr. Reginald Phillipps. He describes the nesting in 

 liis aviaries of the little Bar-breasted Finch, and once again 

 questions the statement of a South-African ornithologist on 

 the strength of his observations in an English aviary (under 

 artificial conditions). The January No. lias an interesting 

 article on the breeding of the Great-tailed Widow Bird 

 {^Diatroprura pi^ocne), here called the Giant Whydah (^Chera 

 pj'ocne), by Mr. W. E. Teschemaker, B.A. He discredits the 

 belief that this bird cannot fly well in wet or windy weather. 

 The February No. has a paper in the correspondence column 

 on the breeding of the Pin-tailed Whydah (Vidua serena = 

 principalis) by Dr. A. Butler. 



* [A biographical notice will appear in the next No. of the Journal. — 

 Edd.] 



