'^'l From Magazines, Sxc. 2 ^ 



1904 J b ■) - J 



lem of the lines of distribution of species, with its intricate 

 geological and aerial underlines, would need more than a Wallace 

 amongst us. Is he to be found ? 



* * * 



Birds' Eggs in the Dresden Museum. — The study of oology 

 as a branch of natural science is proceeding apace. The birds' 

 eggs from the Australian region alone in the Dresden Museum, 

 according to a list compiled under the direction of Dr. A. B. 

 Meyer, reach the respectable number of about 550 species, 

 including many, especially from New Guinea, possibly not 

 described, and certainly not yet figured. Among those little 

 known, or undescribed, of purely Australian species, may be 

 mentioned Sericornis Icevigastra, Sittella leucoptera, Cyclop- 

 sittacus maccoyi, &c. ; but it would be extremely interesting to 

 learn the history of the egg or eggs of the extinct Kangaroo 

 Island Emu {Dromatis ater), said to be in the collection. 



* * * 



The Ibis, vol. viii., No. 14, contains a coloured plate by Mr. 

 Goodchild of Mirafra degeni, which may possibly only interest 

 Australian readers from the fact that its specific name is based 

 on that of a gentleman who not only did good work in Australia, 

 but is pursuing his investigations to good purpose in Africa. 

 There are two more coloured plates in this number — one by 

 the same artist, the other some admirably figured eggs of 

 Palaearctic birds. Reviewing a work on the latter subject the 

 editors favour the binomial system of nomenclature, and 

 " prefer adding typicus to the name of the type species, when it 

 is required," to such an alliterative system as ''Pica pica pica',' 

 %iQ.. They are staunch advocates of what seems the more 



sensible course. 



* * * 



Bulletin of the Philippine Museum, No. 3 (30/1/04) contains 

 an important paper by Mr. Richard C. M'Gregor on " Birds 

 from Benguet Province, Luzon, and from the Islands of Lubang, 

 Mindoro, Cuyo, and Cagayancillo." This is the second of a series 

 of reports on zoological collections made for the Philippine 

 Museum, and contains a record of all identified species of birds 

 collected or observed on recent expeditions directed by Com- 

 missioner Dean C. Worcester, Secretary of the Interior, to the 

 Islands of Lubang, Verde, Cagayancillo, and Agutaya, and 

 to the Province of Benguet, Luzon ; also species recently secured 

 in Cuyo and Mindoro, which are believed to be new to those 



islands. 



* * * 



Wing-Beats of Birds. — Dr. Jonathan Dwight, jun., writing 

 on wing-movements in The Auk (April, 1904, vol. xxi., p. 286) 

 says : — " On several occasions I have had opportunity for 

 watching Herring Gulls {Larus argcntatus) following in the wake 

 of a steamboat running at the rate of 10 or 12 miles per hour, 



