Recently published Ornithological Works. 127 



Museum Catalogue. Here, as he remarks in his preface, 

 that accomplished ornithologist "has furnished ready to 

 hand a careful classification, excellent though short descrip- 

 tions, exact statements as to geographical distribution, and 

 an exhaustive bibliography." Thus Dr. Mivart's chief work 

 has been the testing of Count Salvadori's statements, and 

 the addition to them of such further information as his many 

 friends and correspondents in this country and on the 

 Continent have been able to supply to him. The anatomical 

 chapter given in the introduction is, however, quite original, 

 as is the exhaustive account of the geographical distribution 

 of the Lories, which is excellently illustrated by special maps, 

 and presents many features of great interest. 



It might be supposed that the completion of the present 

 work would leave little more to be done on the subject of 

 the Lories. But such is the inexhaustible fertility of Nature 

 that those who turn over Dr. Mivart^s pages will observe 

 that numerous points are specified as open for further study. 

 Of some well-marked species the exact habitats are still un- 

 known, others are founded on unique specimens and require 

 confirmation by additional evidence. In some cases, again, 

 what are apparently species may turn out hereafter to be 

 mere varieties. Even in such a favourite and much-studied 

 group as the Lories, therefore, there is a large field left open 

 for future investigators. 



16. Nathusius on the Oology of the Rheas. 



[Zur Oologie der Khea-Arten. Von W. v. Nathusius, J. f. 0. 1896, 



p. 257.] 



Herr W. v. Nathusius has added another contribution to his 

 valuable series of essays on the structure of the egg-shell in 

 birds by the present article on the Oology of the Rheas. It 

 is, however, unfortunate that he had not at his disposal a 

 better authenticated set of specimens to base his studies upon, 

 most of them ha\dng been obtained through dealers without 

 any positive evidence of their origins and localities. The 

 Rhea americana is now so common in Zoological Gardens 

 that it could not be difficult to obtain authentic specimens 



