Recently published Ornithological Works. 283 



The systematic arrangement followed is that of Gould's 

 ' Handbook/ and, except in the case of species subsequently 

 discovered, references are given only to that work. Of the 

 469 species treated of in the volume, the author has per- 

 sonally examined specimens of all except 34, the informa- 

 tion concerning which is taken from Gould's ^Handbook.' 



The 21 plates attached to the volume illustrate the eggs 

 of 176 species. They are reproductions by the heliotype pro- 

 cess of negatives taken from the specimens in the Museum, 

 and seem to deserve much commendation. Although this 

 plan does not give us the colour of the eggs, the exact spots 

 and blotches, so difficult for an artist to render faithfully, 

 are thus, of course, accurately given. 



46. Oates's ' Birds of British India/ 



[Tke Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. Published 

 under the authority of the Secretary of State for India in Council. 

 Edited by W. T. Blanford. Birds : Vol. 11. By Eugene W. Gates. 

 8vo. Pp. i-x, 1-407, London : Taylor and Francis, 1890.] 



The second volume of Mr. Oates's excellent handbook of 

 the Birds of India carries on the subject to the end o£ the 

 Passeres. It is much to be regretted that Mr. Oates has 

 been refused the additional leave of absence which he would 

 necessarily require in order to complete the work. But it is 

 a great satisfaction under the circumstances to know that 

 Mr. Blanford has himself undertaken the task, and will 

 proceed with it as soon as he has got out the second half of 

 the Mammals. 



In the present volume Mr. Oates treats of the Musci- 

 capidse, Turdidse, Ploceidse, Fringillidae, HirundinidcC, Mota- 

 cillidse, Alaudidse, Nectariniidse, Dicseidse, and Pittidse. This 

 sequence of families will appear rather extraordinary, but we 

 need not repeat our criticisms of Mr. Oates's new arrange- 

 ment of the Passeres (c/". Ibis, 1890, p. 252). 



A noteworthy discovery is that Chalcoparia does not belong 

 to the Nectariniidse, but to the Crateropodidse, near My- 

 zomis (op. cit. p. 372) . 



