Recently published Ornithological Works. 383 



his adventures and experiences " among the head-hunters " 

 into a nice little volume, which we can cordially recommend 

 to those who are interested in the study of Nature. Mr. 

 Woodford is an ardent collector of birds, and frequent allu- 

 sion to them will be found, throughout his pages. His col- 

 lections have been worked out by Mr. Sharpe and Mr. Grant 

 (see P. Z. S. 1887, p. 328, and 1888, pp. 182, 185). 



Perhaps the best bird that he discovered was Macrocorax 

 woodfordi (P. Z. S. 1887, p. 332, pi. xxvii.). But we must 

 not suppose that the Avifauna of this most interesting group 

 of islands is by any means yet thoroughly known. Mr. 

 Woodford is certain "that when Bougainville, Choiseul, 

 Ysabel, and Malaita have been properly worked, many 

 hitherto unknown species will be added to our lists. The 

 mountains of Bougainville, over 10,000 feet high, never yet 

 ascended by white man or native, present a field from which 

 we may expect all sorts of prizes, not only in birds, but in 

 other orders.'" 



In one of his chapters Mr. Woodford gives us a good 

 general account of the birds of the Solomon Islands as at 

 present known to us, from which we extract the following 

 passage : — 



"As might be expected the Avifauna of the Solomons con- 

 tains many species identical with or closely allied to those 

 occurring on New Guinea and the neighbouring islands. 

 Some families, however, are altogether wanting, or are 

 represented by species that from long isolation have become 

 distinct. 



" The Paradise-Birds, those gorgeous inhabitants of New 

 Guinea and the islands immediately adjacent, have no repre- 

 sentative in the Solomons, nor do they even reach New 

 Britain and Duke of York. Casuaries, although found in 

 New Britain and Duke of York Island, do not extend to the 

 Solomons, and I consider their absence another proof that 

 land-connection has never existed between the Solomons and 

 New Britain." 



