I-885-] Recent Litem tit ic. 20} 



the middle of the upper surfaces of the shafts of the six outer pri- 

 maries, and is confined to the middle half of the exposed part of 

 each, so that the has'al half, and a considerable apical portion, 

 together with all the rest of the wing, is pure white. 



In the other extreme, the black covers the exposed portions of 

 the outer surfaces of the shafts of all the primaries (sometimes 

 being as intense on the 8th, 9th, and 10th, as on the 2d, 3d, and 

 4th) and also of the 'false wing' (alula). The under surfaces 

 show it, but in a much less degree. The black is not limited to 

 the shafts, and in some cases all the primaries, except the first, 

 are extensively blotched and marbled with sooty, the markings 

 being most distinct subapicallv. The coverts also are occa- 

 sionally clouded. 



Unfortunately, the wings were severed at the carpo-metacarpa) 

 joints ; consecjuently it is impossible to say whether the second- 

 aries had black shafts or not. But the primaries present every 

 intermediate phase between their normal winter condition in 

 typical L. albus, and the extreme dark mottled form character- 

 ized by Dr. Stejneger. 



It is worthy of note that many of these wings are deeply tinged 

 with a delicate and very beautiful shade of rose-pink, which is 

 more pronounced than in a freshly killed Roseate Tern. The 

 color is very transient and has already begun to fade in speci- 

 mens which have been exposed to the light but little more than 

 a week. 



RECENT LITERATURE. 



Gurney's 'List of the Diurnal Birds of Prey.'* — In a compact little 

 volume of less than 200 pages, we have the fulfilment of Mr. Gurney's 

 promise to supplement his valuable critical notes, published in 'The 

 Ibis' for 1S75-18S2, on Mr. Sharpe's 'Catalogue of the Accipitres or 

 Diurnal Birds of Prey in the collection of the British Museum, 'f by a 

 tabular index to the species, with references and annotations. The plan, 



* A list I of the | Diurnal Birds of Prey, | with | references and annotations: j also 

 I a record of specimens | preserved in the I Norfolk and Norwich Museums. | By 

 j John Henry Gurney. | London : | John Van Voorst, 1 Paternoster Row, E. C. | 

 MDCCCLXXXIV. I Small 8vo., pp. i-xv, 1-187. 



t Catalogue of the Birds in the British Museum. Volume 1. London: Printed by 

 order of the Trustees, 1874. 8vo., pp. i-xiii, 1-480, pis. I-XIV. 



