276 Recent Literature. [April 



W. P. Pycraft summarized his investigations on the possibiUty of color 

 change in feathers. He did not behove such change possible and pointed 

 out its inherent difficulties as weU as the weakness of the supposed evi- 

 dence in its favor. His views were endorsed by all who discussed the 

 question. He further contended that the eclipse plumage was not pro- 

 tective but was a misplaced winter plumage. This view was opposed by 

 Mr. Rothschild who regarded it as a case of MiiUerian mimicry for the 

 protection of the female when looking after her brood. 



Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club. No. CXCHI. De- 

 cember 23, 1913. 



Hon. W. Rothschild exhibited some immature birds, with feathers 

 similar to those of the adult in pattern but with more or less of the color 

 of the young. These further illustrated Mr. Pycraft's theory that such 

 feathers replaced others which had been accidentally lost just before the 

 regular molt and while they anticipated the molt so far as pattern was 

 concerned they absorbed some of the immature pigment which was still 

 present. 



E. Hartert described as new Icterus xanthornus trinitatis, Trinidad; 

 Ewphonia fulvicrissa omissa, Colombia; E. elegantissima vincens, Costa 

 Rica; Tangara aurulenta goodsoni, W. Ecuador; Fringilla ccelebs ombriosa, 

 Island of Hierro (Ferro). 



C. Chubb described two new forms of Rheas, Pterocnemia tarapacensis, 

 Tarapaca, and P. t. gdrleppi, Bohvia; and pointed out the differences 

 between this genus and Rhea. 



H. H. Harington described three new birds, Pellorneum ruficeps granti, 

 Travancore; Plerythius xanthochloris occidentalis, N. W. Himalaya; and 

 P. pallidus hybrida, Chin Hills. 



W. R. Ogilvie-Grant exhibited a specimen of Porzana Carolina shot 

 in the Hebrides, Nov. 12, 1913. 



E. C. Stuart Baker, exhibited and described the female of Ithagenis 

 cruentus kuseri Beebe. 



Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club. No. CXCIV. Janu- 

 ary 29, 1914. 



The following new birds were described: By E. Hartert, Milvus milvus 

 fasciicauda, Cape Verde Isls. By W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, Lanius yemenensis, 

 Yemen. By H. H. Harrington, Trochalopterum erythrocephalum godwini, 

 N. Cacliar Hills. By S. Clarke, Salpornis salvadorii occidentalis, N. Ni- 

 geria. By C. Chubb, Nothocercus salvadorii Ecuador. 



British Birds. Vol. VII. No. 7. December 1, 1913. 



Richard John Ussher, A Memoir. By R. M. Barrington. 



Breeding of the Roseate Tern in Ireland. By G. R. Humphreys. 



The "British Birds" Marking Scheme. By H. F. Witherby.— In 

 1913, 14,843 birds were ' ringed ' making a total of 46,823 in five years. 

 The percentage of ' recoveries ' up to 1913, was 3.3 per cent, or 971 out of 

 31,980. The total number of species ' ringed ' is 143 of which 31 were water 

 birds, the largest percentages of recoveries were from Mallards and Wood- 

 cock, 50 out of 222 and 15 out of 141 respectively. 



