^°'m6^"^] ^<^ceni Literature. 20^ 



Even more remarkable is the case of one of the Drepanine birds, Viri- 

 donia sagiUiroslris, which is confined to a tract of the deep forests in Hawaii 

 a few miles square, although the surrounding forest seems to be in every 

 respect similar. 



Seven black-and-white plates fairly well illustrate the more interesting 

 of the Hawaiian birds. As many of these birds are beautifully colored, it 

 seems a pity that adequate illustrations in color could not have been 

 furnished. The 'accounts of the Hawaiian birds, while not written for the 

 professional ornithologist, contain many facts of interest and give an excel- 

 lent birds-eye-view of the subject. The non-professional, however, for 

 whom the accounts of the islands birds are chiefly intended, will find the 

 treatment given by the author entirely adequate to his needs. The index 

 and glossary to the volume have been made a special feature. They have 

 been prepared with great care, and render the contents of the book readily 

 accessible to every seeker for the wealth of material which it contains. — 

 H. W. H. 



The B. O. U. Jubilee Supplement to the Ibis, No. 2.i — In December, 

 1908, the British Ornithologists' Union, as part of the activities connected 

 with the celebration of its fiftieth anniversary, arranged to send an expedi- 

 tion to Dutch New Guinea to explore the Snow Mountains, with especial 

 consideration of its avifauna. This expedition under the leadership of 

 Mr. Walter Goodfellow met with unforeseen obstacles and while it acquired 

 much valuable information and many specimens, it failed to accomplish 

 all that was hoped for. The ornithological results appeared in 'The Ibis' 

 for 1913, pp. 76-113. 



A second expedition, under Mr. A. F. R. WoUaston, who had accom- 

 panied the first one, met with complete success, reaching the highest peaks 

 of the Snow Mountains and bringing back large collections. The present 

 report covers both collections — representing 321 species and includes 

 additional forms obtained by other expeditions. It contains a vast amount 

 of information upon the relationship and status of the birds of this portion 

 of New Guinea which could only be obtained from adequate series of speci- 

 mens such as are here available. Many important facts regarding the 

 plumage of Birds of Paradise are brought out for the first time. 



As might have been expected, Bowdler-Sharpe's statement that the glossy 

 green racket shaped tail feathers of the King Bird of Paradise are appar- 

 ently derived from the curved brown ones without molt, proves to be 

 erroneous. The green racket shaped feathers are acquired in the fourth 

 year by a regular molt, encased in curious circular sheaths "for all the world 

 like miniature motor-tyres." There are also numerous valuable field 



' The Ibis, Jubilee Supplement No. 2. 1915. Report on the Birds collected by the 

 British Ornithologists' Union Expedition and the Wollaston Expedition in Dutch New 

 Guinea. By W. R. Ogilvie-Grant. pp. i-xx + 1-336, 8 plates and two maps. December, 

 1915. 



