94 Recent Literature. Rees, 
RECENT LITERATURE. 
Index to ‘ The Ibis’ 1895-1912.'— This bulky volume is the third ‘ Index- 
volume’ of ‘ The Ibis,’ the others covering respectively the years 1859- 
1876, and 1877-1894. Unlike the custom adopted by ‘ The Auk,’ ‘ The 
Ibis’ issues a separate ‘Subject Index’ at the end of every series (six 
volumes) so that no entries of authors or subjects appear in the work before 
us. The size of the volume is greatly increased by the indexing of every 
species under both species and genus and of every trinomial name under 
subspecies, species and genus, there being no cross references whatever. 
To anyone who has constant occasion to consult the files of ‘ The Ibis ’ 
this index is invaluable and ornithologists the world over owe a debt 
of gratitude to Messrs. Henry Peavot and Thomas Wells who compiled 
it and to Mr. W. L. Sclater, the editor.— W. S. 
Noble on the Resident Birds of Guadeloupe.?— Mr. Noble spent 
the summer and early fall of 1914 on Guadeloupe Island in the French West 
Indies, collecting in the interest of the Museum of Comparative Zodélogy, 
and the present report covers the results of his work. Forty-six species 
are listed accompanied by extensive notes on relationship, habits and abun- 
dance, while several introductory pages summarize the topography of the 
island, the vertebrate fauna and the present status of the bird life. 
The four species of parrots, were the earliest land birds to be exterminated, 
having been killed in large numbers by the natives. The Coot and Rail 
have apparently disappeared also, though their extirpation is to be laid to 
the mongoose rather than to human agency. The other extinct species 
is the Diablotin or Black-capped Petrel, which, according to the “‘ oldest 
inhabitants ’’ has not been seen since the great earthquake of 1847. Mr. 
Noble nevertheless is able to discuss the relationship of the Guadeloupe 
petrels at considerable length on the basis of four specimens in the Lafres- 
naye collection secured in Guadeloupe in 1842 by L’Herminier. These 
curiously enough belong to two different species, the smaller of which seems 
to correspond best with Kuhl’s description of Procellaria hasitata while 
the larger is P. diabolica of Lafresnay. Mr. Noble further thinks it 
probable that the North American specimens of ‘ A. hasitata’ will be 
found to be A. diabolica. 
’ The Laughing Gulls of the Antilles and Bahamas are found to be uni- 
formly smaller than those from the mainland and Mr. Noble proposes to 
separate the latter as Larus atricilla megalopterus (Bruch). The Grackles 
1 Index of Genera and Species referred to, and an Index to the Plates in ‘The Ibis’ 
(Seventh, Eighth and Ninth Series), 1895-1912. Edited by William Lutley Sclater, M. A. 
London, 1916. pp. 1-513. Price, £1 12s. 6d. 
2 The Resident Birds of Guadeloupe. By G. K. Noble. Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., LX., 
No. 10. August, 1916. pp. 359-396. 
