126 Recently published Ornithological Works. 



regarded by modern writers as an aberrant member of the 

 Tanagridae, in a communication made to ' The Auk ' in April 

 1895 (p. 186). Mr. Ridgway thereupon proposes to elevate 

 this type to the rank o£ an independent family of Oscines, 

 and now gives us his diagnosis of it. Mr. Lucas adds a paper 

 in which the osteological and pterylographical characters of 

 the Procniatidae are set forth. The striking features of the 

 skull of Procnias consist in " the total absence of the trans- 

 palatine processes, the small size of the interpalatines, and 

 the outward curvature of the prepalatine bars.*' It is not, 

 however, suggested that the systematic position of this form 

 should be materially altered, as it still seems to be quite as 

 nearly allied to the Tanagridae as to any other family of 

 Passeres. 



15. Mivart's 'Monograph of the Lories.' 



[A Monoprapli of the Lories, or Brusli-tongued Parrots, composing the 

 Family Loriida;. By St. George Mivart, F.E.S. Pp. i-liii, 1-193. 

 Folio. London: R. H. Porter, 1896.] 



The issue of Dr. Mivart's beautifully illustrated Mono- 

 graph of the Lories must be considered as one of the leading 

 ornithological events of the past year, and would have been 

 noticed in our last number had not time failed us for its 

 detailed examination. Now that we have been able to study 

 it carefully, we have come to the conclusion that the present 

 volume forms no unworthy addition to the sj)lendid series of 

 pictured memoirs upon select groups of birds which the 

 brethren of the British Ornithologists' Union have published 

 during the past twenty years. In some points Dr. Mivart's 

 monograph is almost unique among its fellows, every one of 

 the known species being figured on 61 plates drawn by 

 Keulemans, and 22 of the figures being taken from the 

 typical specimens, whilst 16 of the species are now repre- 

 sented for the first time. 



In his arrangement of the Lories and in the general 

 treatment of the genera and species. Dr. Mivart has wisely 

 determined to follow Count Salvadori's well-known work 

 which constitutes the twentieth volume of the British 



