Recently published Ornithological Worksi 1 13 



varieties, with the chin and middle of the throat black, as in 

 the Common Quail {Coturnix coturnix), instead of pure 

 white. The knowledge that such individual variation may 

 and does occur should make writers cautious in accepting 

 such a character as of any specific value. 



I must mention that the bird figured by Mr. Nelson as 

 C. sallcei does not appear to be of that species, but that the 

 photograph does not shew up the characters very clearly. 



These are a few instances of the inaccuracy of Mr. Nelson's 

 descriptions; and it is evident that his " intimate knowledge 

 of the topography and geographic distribution " does not 

 necessarily establish his claims as an ornithologist. 



I may add that, for those who have not had the advantage 

 of twelve years' travel in Mexico, an exceptionally good 

 atlas, with large maps of each State, is available, viz. Cuba's 

 ' Atlas Geografico y Estadistico de los Estados Unidos 

 Mexicanos' (Mexico, 188G). 



XII. — Notices of recent Ornithological Publications. 



1. ( Annals of Scottish Natural History.' 



[The Annals of Scottish Natural History. No. 43, July 1902, and 

 No. 44, October 1902.] 



Mr. T. Gr. Laidlaw's valuable " Report on the Movements 

 and Occurrence of Birds in Scotland during 1901 " is con- 

 tinued in the July number and concluded in that of October. 

 The same remark applies to Mr. Harvie-Brown's contribution 

 to the avifauna of the Outer Hebrides, with the exception that 

 the species treated by him reach no further than the Rallidae, 

 so that we must wait until January for the conclusion of 

 this paper. Every student of the distribution of birds in 

 North Britain will read these articles with attention, but 

 the principal rarities have been already recorded ; as regards 

 the minor notices, there are none which call for special 

 remark in these pages. If. S. 



>YA\. VIII. — VOL. III. I 



