60 NATURAL SCIENCE [July 
ally with the birds of the Kingdom of Italy was a particularly happy 
thought. It must be gratifying to Cav. Brogi to find himself so well 
backed up by his countrymen. The eight numbers of Avicula which 
have now made their appearance contain many fugitive notes upon 
rare birds, such, for example, as Chetusia gregaria and Charadrius 
fulvus, which rarely journey sufficiently far west to offer sport to 
Roman wildfowlers. But the mainstay of Avicula is to be sought for 
in-the admirable series of papers contributed by able observers upon 
the birds of their own districts. Sacerdote Antonio Tait is penning a 
noteworthy report upon the Avifauna of Trent; while Armando 
Lucifero has recently commenced a dissertation upon the ornithology 
of Calabria, a region which has hitherto received less attention from 
naturalists than the provinces of Northern Italy. We wish continued 
prosperity to this plucky venture of our colleagues. 
NEW SERIALS 
WE have received the lengthy announcement of a forthcoming 
periodical, entitled Za Industria Agricola, which is to be published at 
Caracas in Venezuela. Each number will consist of 32 octavo pages, 
and will appear monthly. 
We learn from Science that a handsomely illustrated periodical, en- 
titled Monumental Records, and edited by the Rev. H. M. Baum, is 
published at Box 1839, New York City, at a price of $1.50 per annum. 
It is concerned with the discovery of ancient monuments in both the 
Old and New Worlds. 
We learn from the Scottish Geographical Magazine that the 
Geographical Society of La Paz, Bolivia, founded in 1889, has begun 
the publication of a journal. The first number contains a monograph 
of the Province of Munecas, an account of the Province of the Mojos, 
written two centuries ago by a Jesuit missionary, and a statement of 
the boundary dispute with Peru. 
The Oxford University Junior Scientific Club has recently exchanged 
the publication of a more or less contemporary Journal for T'’ransac- 
tions, appearing at rarer intervals, and containing only the papers 
read. The first two parts were published in 1897, a more exact date 
not being given. The first contains a criticism by Mr Garstang of Dr 
Gaskell’s Theory of Vertebrate Ancestry, with a restatement of Mr 
Garstang’s own views as to the Echinoderm relations of the vertebrate 
ancestor. The next paper is by Mr E. C. Atkinson, and it is an 
abstract of one which we shall publish in our next number. This is 
followed by an abstract of A. E. Boycott’s paper, “Shell Coloration 
(he calls it ‘colouration ’) in British extra-marine Mollusca.” No. 2 
contains some stray notes on the birds of Oxford by A. W. S. Fisher. 
His paper is the only one honoured with a report of the discussion. 
Nos. 5 and 4 were issued together in May 1898, and contain the 
abstract of a paper on Athletic Training, a subject always popular 
at Oxford, by G. W. 8S. Farmer. Although outside our scope, we 
can hardly pass without notice the excellent and enthusiastic account 
of the life and work of the illustrious chemist, Victor Meyer, by 
F. Soddy. 
