124 Recent Ornithological Publications. 



birds (pp. 205-213 and 236-239). He tells us that "some 

 birds are furnished with only one oil-gland on the rump, while 

 others have two^^ — the former being without exception such as 

 are commonly termed "Land-birds/^ and the latter "Water- 

 birds/' with some additions. If the author is not acquainted 

 with the researches of Nitzsch on this subject, he will perhaps 

 thank us for referring him to the translation (chap, viii.) of that 

 naturalist's ' Pterylography/ lately published by the Ray Society, 

 where he will see that this difference is rather one of name than 

 of nature; since we believe that the gland, when it exists, is 

 always single though often divided into two lobes. Mr. Ster- 

 land appends to his work a list of the species he has examined 

 (249 in number) in the course of his investigations, and tells us 

 as their result that he does not venture to assert that he is cer- 

 tain of the true use of the glands ; but he has no hesitation in 

 declaring "that they are simply excretory." We bound to 

 remark that his conclusion is not entirely satisfactory to us. If 

 the glands are " excretory," in the technical sense of the word, 

 it is a very singular fact in the animal kingdom ; and to say that 

 they are " simply excretory," precludes the idea of their being 

 " secretory ;" while it is, we think, manifest that they do secrete 

 the matter they contain. The number of instances of the Black 

 Redstart breeding in this country (c/. Ibis, 1865, pp. 21, 22) is 

 added to by Mr. Sterland on what appears to be very satisfactory 

 evidence, as is also the case with the Tufted Duck {cf. torn. cit. 

 p. 446) ; but we cannot allow his supposed Garganey's nest 

 (p. 220) to pass unchallenged. The collector must indeed be 

 " experienced" who could discriminate between the eggs of that 

 bird and of a Teal. In conclusion, let us say that Mr. Sterland's 

 book is of a kind we should like to see many more, that his 

 acquaintance with other than "British" birds has a perceptibly 

 beneficial effect on the work, and, finally, that the volume pos- 

 sesses the great merit of a very good index. 



Mr. Cecil Smith's book* aims at being a more complete per- 

 formance than that last noticed ; for its author deems it neces- 



* The Birds of Somersetshire. By Cecil Smith, of L)dear(l House, 

 near Taunton. London : 1869. 8vo, pp. 643. 



