Recently published Ornithological Works. 139 



was undertaken by Dr. Carl Bolle. Dr. Bolle recognized 

 278 species of birds as occurring in the province above men- 

 tionedj whereas Herr Schalow in his last essay on the same 

 subject had only allowed 267 {cf. Zeitschr. f. d. g. Orn. 1885, 

 pp. 1-44). Herr Schalow now comments on this diversity, 

 and gives a long series of critical notes upon the different 

 species. Vultur monachus, which occurred in the shape of 

 a single adult specimen in June 1888, seems to be the most 

 important recent addition to the list. Then follows a revised 

 nominal catalogue of the species of Brandenburg Birds, which 

 are now brought up to 273 in number. The memoir is con- 

 cluded by a '' Bibliographia ornithologica Marchica,^'' which 

 contains the titles of the numerous publications on the sub- 

 ject and short explanations. 



24. Seebohm on the Birds of the Japanese Empire. 



[The Bu'ds of the Japanese Empire. By Henry Seebohm. With 

 numerous woodcuts, London : Porter, 1890. 1 vol. large 8vo, pp. 386,] 



Mr. Seebohm^s studies of the Bird-life of Japan and its 

 adjoining islands have resulted in the production of a hand- 

 some octavo volume, which his brother Ornithologists will re- 

 ceive with pleasure. It is not a perfect history of the Avifauna 

 of Japan, but it contains an excellent summary of the present 

 state of oui' information of this very interesting subject, and, 

 in the words of the author, is an " important contribution 

 towards our knowledge of the geographical distribution of 

 the Birds of the Palsearctic Begion.^'' 



The work commences with an account of the literature 

 relating to Japanese Birds, arranged chronologically. This 

 commences with Ballasts ' Zoographia,^ and is continued down 

 to the most recent papers of Dr. Stejneger and Mr. Seebohm 

 himself. We have then a disquisition on the geographical 

 distribution of Japanese Birds. It is shown that of 381 

 species included in Mr. Seebohm^s list, 146 are Palccarctic 

 generally, 139 Eastern Palsearctic, 47 Tropical species coming 

 from the south, and 49 only yet known as endemic to Japan. 

 Various other details are given, from which we extract the 

 following passage : — " The birds of Japan do not differ very 



