468 Uecently jmblished Ornithological Works. 



(above, p. 144), more Ross's Gulls were seen, together with 

 Ivory Gulls, Fulmars, Kittiwakes, Little Auks, and Terns. 

 ''There was no want of animal-life here, nor of food in case 

 of its Ijeing required/' It was here, on Eva's Island, that 

 Dr. Nansen believed that Ross's Gulls had their breeding- 

 grounds. It was not until they reached Torup Island on 

 August 17tli that the first land-birds were met with. These 

 were of course Snow-Buntings {Plectrophenax nivalis), 

 '' which fluttered from stone to stone with their cheerful 

 twitter." When establishing themselves in their winter hut 

 on Frederick Jackson Island, on August 29th, two Geese 

 were seen flying south. 



The party left in the ' Fram ' met the first " harbinger of 

 spring " on April 25th in the shape of a single Snow-Bunting, 

 which took up permanent quarters in one of the sealing- 

 boats and soon got very tame. For further details on the 

 birds of the Far North we must refer our readers to Nansen's 

 journal, which is full of information and well worthy of 

 perusal. 



80. Nelson on new Birds from Mexico and Gautemala. 



[Prelimiuary Descriptions of new Birds from Mexico and Guatemala 

 in the Collection of the United States Department of Agriculture. By 

 E. W. Nelson. ' The Auk,' xiv. p. 42.] 



During explorations conducted for five years on behalf of 

 the Biological Survey of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

 Mr. E. W. Nelson and his assistant, Mr. E. A. Goldman, 

 have traversed Mexico from end to end and have crossed the 

 country six times from sea to sea. In the course of their 

 travels they have collected altogether from 4000 to 5000 

 specimens of birds. After comparing these with the large 

 series contained in the National Museum at Washington, 

 Mr. Nelson has come to the conclusion that the following 

 species and subspecies require to be characterized as new : — 

 Dendrortyx oaxacce, D. macrourus griseopectus, Colinus salvini, 

 C. godmani, C. insignis, C. graysoni nigripectus, Cyrtonyx 

 merriami, Megascops marmoratus, Momotus mexicanus satu- 

 ratus, Dryobates sanctorum, Antrostomus ridgwayi, Delattria 

 pringlei, Platypsaris aglaia sumichrasti, Empidonax bairdi 



