454 Becently published Ornithological Works. 



other birds being briefly noticed. There is an interesting 

 report from the A.O.U. Committee on Protection of North 

 American Birds^ from which it appears that plume-wearing 

 uomen in California readily accept the conscience-soothing 

 falsehood which has been freely propagated here, and exclaim, 

 " That ' aigrette ' never belonged to a bird : they are simply 

 manufactured feathers '/' The slaughter, says Mr. Anthony, 

 is now in all its glory, and at the present rate the '^ countless 

 thousands -"^ of Herons which nested in Magdalena Bay 

 cannot last long. The advocates of protection are, however, 

 working hard, and are in touch with our Society in England, 

 whose management and literature are highly commended. 

 Dr. A. P. Chadbourne concludes his essay on Individual 

 Dichromatism in Megascops as'io (illustrated by the frontis- 

 piece). Dr. Cones defends his genus Zamelodia of 1880 

 against Habia, Reich., of 1850; he must settle the matter 

 with Dr. Stejueger. Mr. E. W. Nelson contributes pre- 

 liminary descriptions of forty-two new species and sub- 

 species of birds obtained during five years^ explorations in 

 Mexico and Guatemala, and founds a new genus Hylor- 

 c/iilvs, ihe type of vhich is Catheiyes sumichrasti, Lawr. 

 Mr. Oberholser describes a new subspecies of Detidroica (sc. 

 Dendroeca), and Mr. Brewster follows with some criticisms 

 on Mr. Obcrhoher^s nomenclature of various forms of 

 Downy Woodpeckers [Dryobates), Among the General 

 Notes, our Mr. J. H. Gurney records his discovery of an 

 adult male Labrador Duck {Cami^toJamus labradorius) in 

 the Museum at Amiens, France; and although this state- 

 ment may very likely have appeared also in some English 

 journal, we do not recollect it. Mr. J. F. Fannin, of Victoria, 

 B.C., states that he has observed the California Vulture 

 [Psendogryphns calif orni amis) between Calgary and the Rocky 

 Mountains, i. e. to the east of that range, and also a con- 

 siderable distance to the north of its distribution as formerly 

 known. The eighth supplement to the A.O.U. Check-list 

 occupies pp. 117-135. 



In the April number, the frontispiece illustrates a paper 

 by Dr. Chadbourne on the spring-plumage of the Bobolink 



