336 Recent Literature. [f^^ 



ceased to sing, and after a good layer of fat had been acquired they seldom 

 uttered even a chirp. Early in the follo-ndng spring the birds were placed 

 under normal conditions, and they soon moulted into the condition appro- 

 priate to the season; in other words, they moulted immediately into the 

 nuptial pkunage, the autmiin moult and the dull plimiage of winter ha\'ing 

 been' completely omitted. "I think we thus have proof," says Mr. Beebe, 

 "that the sequence of plumage in these birds is not in any way predestined 

 through inheritance bringing about an unchangeable succession, in the case 

 of the Tanager, of scarlet — green, scarlet — green, year after year, but that 

 it may te interrupted by certain external factors in the enviromnental 

 complex." These interesting results could not have been foreseen, and 

 we await A\ith interest the result of Mr. Beebe 's further experiments along 

 these lines. — J. A. A. 



Contributions to Philippine Ornithology. — No. 5 of Vol. II (October, 

 1907) of the 'Philippine Journal of Science' contains 14 papers on Philip- 

 pine birds, of which 9 are by Richard C. McGregor, 2 by Dean C. Worcester, 

 2 by Dr. Edgar A. Meams, and 1 by Dr. R. W. Shufeldt (noticed antea, 

 p. 245). These vary in length from a note on a single species to a hst of the 

 species of an entire island, as follows : ' On a Nesting Specimen of Capri- 

 mulgus griseatus Walden,' by D. C. Worcester, pp. 271-273, with. 2 half- 

 tone plates; 'On a Nesting Place [Didikas Rocks] of Sula sula (Linn.) 

 and Sterna ancefttheta Scopoli,' by D. C. Worcester, p. 175, and 1 half-tone 

 plate; 'Notes on a Collection of Birds from the Island of Basilan, with 

 Descriptions of three new Species,' pp. 279-291, by R. C. McGregor — 

 151 species, 29 here for the first time recorded; 'Descriptions of four new 

 PhiUppine Birds,' by R. C. McGregor, pp. 292-294; 'The Occurrence of 

 Blythe's Wattled Lap\\ing and Scaup Duck in the Philippines,' by R. C. 

 McGregor, p. 295; 'Notes on a Bird unrecorded from Mindanao,' by R. 

 C. McGregor, p. 296 — Rhaldornis inornata Grant; 'Notes on [three] 

 Specimens of Monkey-eating Eagle {Pithecophaga jefferi Grant) from 

 Mindanao and Luzon,' by R. C. McGregor, p. 297; ' Notes on Birds collected 

 in Cebu,' by R. C. McGregor, pp. 298-309 — 149 species, 24 pre^^ously 

 vmrecorded; 'Birds observed in Bantayau Island, Pro\dnce of Cebu,' by 

 R. C. McGregor, pp. 310-314 — 66 species; 'The Birds of Bohol' by R. C. 

 McGregor, pp. 315-333, and a half-tone plate of Circus melanoleucus — 

 145 species, 91 here first recorded, 2 new; 'The Birds of Batan, Camiguin, 

 Y'Ami, and Babuyan Claro, Islands north of Luzon,' by R. C. McGregor, 

 pp. 337-349 and 5 half-tone plates — 78 species, 1 genus and 7 species 

 described as new; 'Two Additions to the A^'ifauna of the Philippines,' 

 by E. A. Meams, p. 353 — Butorides spodiogaster (Sharpe) and Spodiop- 

 sar cineraceus (Temm.); 'Description of a new Genus [Malindangia] 

 and nine new Species of Philippine Birds,' by E. A. Meams, pp. 355-360 — 

 with a key to the Philippine species of Merula. 



As indicated by the titles and comment, these papers form an important 

 contribution to Pliilippine ornithology. — J. A. A. 



