'^ 1912 J Recent Literature. 553 



discussed in detail and named. Ithaginis kuseri is from northwestern 

 Yunnan, while /. cruentus affinis is proposed for the bird of southern 

 Sikkim, as contrasted with /. cruentus cruentus of Nepal and northern 

 Sikkim.— W. S. 



Oliver on The Geographic Relationships of the Birds of Lord 

 Howe, Norfolk, and the Kermadec Islands. ' — In this interesting 

 paper Mr. OHver discusses the relationship of the avifauna of these three 

 islands. His conclusions are that their affinity is clearly with New Zealand 

 rather than with Australia, while the New Caledonian element that is 

 present leads him to endorse the theory of a land bridge between the latter 

 island and New Zealand, of which Lord Howe was a part and Norfolk 

 Island but slightly separated. These two islands he would regard as form- 

 ing one province of the New Zealand region while the Kermadecs he thinks 

 should form a separate province, whose fauna is derived wholly from 

 transoceanic migration, without any of the wingless Rails or other species 

 of Lord Howe Island which apparently date from the time of the land 

 bridge. Mr. OUver cites examples outside of the avifauna in support of 

 his views but it would be interesting to see how a detailed study of other 

 groups of animals or plants would agree with them. — W. S. 



Gladstone's The Vertebrate Fauna of Dumfriesshire. " — Mr. Glad- 

 stone's beautifully printed little book furnishes us with an annotated hst of 

 the vertebrates of his native county, which while largely of local interest is 

 also a valuable work of reference for anyone interested in Scottish zoology. 

 The birds number 224 species with 39 others reported on unsatisfactory 

 evidence. An introduction dealing with the physical features of the region 

 under consideration and a map, are valuable adjuncts to the Catalogue. — 

 W. S. 



Horsbrugh and Davies on The Game-Birds and Water-Fowl of 

 South Africa. ^ — Part 2 of this attractive work is quite up to the standard 

 of the first number already noticed in ' The Auk.' It includes plates and 

 text of fourteen species of FrancoUn and three Quail — 2 Coturnix, 1 . Excal- 

 factoria — -and one Button Quail, Turnix. The account of the breeding of 

 the last species, the male of which incubates the eggs and cares for the 

 young, is especially interesting. — W. S. 



1 Geographic Relationships of the Birds of Lord Howe, NorfoUi and the Kerma- 

 dec Islands. By W. R. B. Oliver. Trans. New Zealand Inst., Vol. XLIV, 1911, 

 pp. 214-221. June 10, 1912. 



2 A Catalogue | of 1 The Vertebrate Fauna | of | Dumfriesshire | by | Hugh S. 

 Gladstone | M. A., F. R. S. E., F. Z. S., M. B. O. U. | Author of "The Birds 

 of Dumfriesshire" 1 J. Maxwell & Son 1 Dumfries | 1912. 



' The Game-Birds and Water-Fowl of South Africa by Major Boyd Horsbrugh, 

 with coloured plates by Sergeant C. G. Davies. Part 2. London, Witherby & Co. 

 July 2nd, 1912. 



