354 Recently published Ornitholuyical Works. 



Boberts on a new South African Bird. 



[A new Siskin from South Africa. By Austin Roberts. Ann. 

 Transvaal Mus., Suppl. to vol. v. no. 3, ? January 1916.] 



Mr. Roberts describes as new Spinus symonsi, allied to 

 S. tottus of the Cape Provinces. The type and other 

 examples were obtained in the Sanqabetu valley of 

 Basutoland. 



We must protest against the issue of fly-leaves containing 

 descriptions of new species and labelled as supplements to 

 the regularly issued numbers of journals, without pagination 

 and with a date by no means clearly indicated. Such fly- 

 leaves are very apt to get lost and to be forgotten when the 

 volumes of such journals are bound up. 



Shufeldt on a Fossil Bird. 



[A Critical Study of the Fossil Bird Gallinuloides tvyominyeijsis 

 Eastman. By R. W. Shufeldt. Journ. of Geology, Chicago, xxiii. 

 1915, pp. 619-634.] 



The fossil, of which Dr. Shufeldt here gives a critical 

 study, was obtained in the Green River Shales of Middle 

 Eocene age, near the town of Fossil in Wyoming, and was 

 described by Mr. Charles B. Eastman in 1900. It is now 

 preserved in the Museum of Comparative Zoology at 

 Cambridge, Mass. 



Dr. Shufeldt has recently had an opportunity of studying 

 this interesting specimen, and has come to the conclusion 

 that it has no Ralline affinities, as was suggested by Dr. 

 Eastman, but is a true Gallinaceous bird, probably closely 

 allied to Bonasa, Canachites, and Lagopus. As the name 

 given to this fossil by Eastman is very misleading, Shufeldt 

 proposes, " should the Canons of Zoological Nomenclature 

 admit of it," to change the name to Palceobonasa. This 

 proceeding is, however, undoubtedly in direct opposition to 

 the "Canons of Zoological Nomenclature," and cannot be 

 permitted. A photograph of the original slab and a 

 drawing of a careful restoration add much to the value of 

 this paper. 



