° "{ 91 g J Recent Literature. 601 



A study of a series of the Nicobar Megapode induces Dr Oberholser x 

 to recognize two races, Megapodius nicobariensis abbotti (p. 400) from Little 

 Nicobar being described as new. It occurs also on Great Nicobar, while the 

 typical form is restricted to the middle and northern islands of the group. 



Dr. Abbott's second collection from Simalur Island, Sumatra, consists 

 of 38 species, which are listed by Dr. Oberholser, 2 Hypotamidia striata 

 reliqua (p. 476) being the only novelty. 



None of the recent papers from the National Museum ' Proceedings ' are 

 dated except with the year, which is likely to cause much trouble in the 

 future. If it was impracticable during war times to print the date on the 

 separates, it surely could have been added with a rubber stamp before they 

 were mailed. So much time is wasted today in ascertaining the actual 

 dates of publication of old works that it is disheartening to find one of our 

 leading scientific institutions reverting to this careless practice. — W. S. 



Captain S. A. White's Explorations in Australia. 3 — Captain 

 White, who has contributed so many valuable articles to ' The Emu ' 

 and other Australian scientific journals, has also published two little book- 

 lets, reprinted from ' The Register ' and illustrated by many half-tones 

 from photographs, which have just come to our attention. 



One is entitled ' The Gawler Range. An Ornithological Expedition ' 

 and the other ' Ooldea on the East-West Railway, On the Flooded Murray 

 River and Other Sketches.' 4 They are most interesting accounts of 

 travel in the wilds of the Australian continent and are replete with obser- 

 vations on bird life. — W. S. 



Bangs and Penard's ' Critical Bird Notes.' 5 — In the process of their 

 studies of the Lafresnaye Collection of birds recently presented by the 

 Boston Society of Natural History to the Museum of Comparative Zoology, 

 Messrs. Bangs and Penard have discovered the necessity for various 

 changes in names, recognition of new races, etc., which are presented in 

 the present paper in advance of their general report on the Lafresnaye col- 

 lection. The new forms described are: Herpetotheres cachinnans queri- 

 bundus (p. 23), Pernambuco, Brazil; Eupsittula astec vicinalis (p. 24), 

 Tamaulipas, Mexico; Synallaxis brachyurus chapmani (p. 25), Jiminez; 

 Colombia; Dendrocincla lafresnayei christiani (p. 25), Pavas, Colombia, 



1 The Races of the Nicobar Megapode, Megapodius nicobariensis BIyth. By Harry C. 

 Oberholser. Ibid., pp. 399-402. 



■ Notes on Dr. W. L. Abbott's Second Collection of Birds from Simalur Island, Western 

 Sumatra. By Harry C. Oberholser. Ibid., pp. 473-498. 



3 The Gawler Ranges. An Ornithological Expedition. By Capt. S. A. White. Ade- 

 laide. 1913. pp. 1-58. 



4 Ooldea, on the East-West Railway, On the Flooded Murray River and Other Sketches. 

 By Capt. S. A. White. Beprinted from The Begister. pp. 1-88. 



5 Some Critical Notes on Birds. By Outram Bangs and Thomas E. Penard. Bull. 

 Museum Comp. Zool., Vol. LXIII, No. 2. June, 1919. pp. 21-40. 



