Recent Ornithological Publications. 135 



Sen. Jose Augusto de Sousa, and is very well done. The con- 

 dition of this Museum reflects much credit on all who are con- 

 cerned in its management, since the number of species belong- 

 ing to the former group contained in it is 204, and of the 

 latter 223, in each case a very large proportion of the described 

 species for any museum to possess. No doubt the still exten- 

 sive foreign dominions of the Crown of Portugal in some degree 

 explain this great wealth ; but the advantage they confer would 

 be undoubtedly lost were there not able and willing spirits at 

 home to aid the collection of the treasures. 



6. Australasian. 

 We have to chronicle the further progress made by Mr. Diggles 

 since we last noticed his work* (Ibis, 1868, p. 348) ; but it does 

 not seem necessary for us, with our present scarcity of space, to 

 comment particularly upon it, and we will only repeat our best 

 wishes for the success of this enterprising author. 



Our antipodes are setting the world a good example. Four 

 scientific societies established in as many provinces of the colony, 

 have incorporated themselves with the New-Zealand Institute, 

 in whose ' Transactions and Proceedings ' the various papers 

 communicated to their meetings are published, at a greater or 

 less length, as these contributions seem to deserve. In the first 

 volume (which, through the kindness of a friend there, we have 

 lately received) ornithology makes a more than respectable show. 

 Mr. Walter Buller has some " Notes on Dr. Finsch^s review of 

 the Essay on the Ornithology of New Zealand " which it was 

 our privilege first to bring to the notice of our European brethren 

 (Ibis, 1867, p. 132), and, taking his remarks seriatim, replies to 

 the criticisms of that learned authority with a considerable degree 

 of success. We can here only mention a few points : — Hiera- 

 cidea brunnea has been found to be the immature stage of H. 

 novce-zelandicB ; further evidence is adduced for the distinctness 

 of Anthornis auriocula from A. melanura ; Ardea novce-hollandia 

 has been lately obtained from the North Island, and a remarkably 



* The Ornithology of Australia, by Sylvester Diggles. Brisbane, 

 Queensland. Imp. 4to. Parts xvi.-xx. 



