280 Recently published Ornithological IVoi'ks. 



British Museum ' was not published, as we are informed on 

 authority, until February 25th, 1888, although its issue had 

 been previously alluded to in some journals. It is a bulky 

 work of 872 pages, illustrated by 16 plates, and is devoted 

 entirely to the Fringillidae, of which family Mr. Sharpe 

 recognizes 559 species^ represented in the National Collec- 

 tion by 9443 specimens. Only 30 of the recognized species 

 are unrepresented in this enormous series. 



The following new species and subspecies appear to be de- 

 scribed or named for the first time in this volume : — Geospiza 

 difficilis, Guiraca cyanea argentina, Amaurospiza (squato- 

 rialis, A. axillaris, Fringilla maderensis, Chrysomitris sclateri, 

 C. stejnegeri, C. icterica cupitalis, C. icierica boliviana, C. ic- 

 terica longirostris, Passer domesticus griseigularis, Sycalis 

 flaveola jamaiccB, S. taczanowskii, Carpodacus roseipectus, 

 Pyrrhospiza punicea hutnii, Zonotrichia whitii, Poospiza boli- 

 viana, Peucaa ruficeps homochlamys, Phrygilus cariiceps bolt- 

 vianus, and Coryph^spingus nientalis. 



Three new genera are instituted, namely, Pseudochloris , 

 for Sycalis lutea (d'Orb. et Lafr. and others) ; Schistospiza, 

 for Coryphospingus griseocristatus (d'Orb. et Lafr.) ; and 

 Phodospingus, for Coryphospingus cruentus (Less.). 



The following species are figured : — Coccothraustes humii, 

 Spermophila palustris, Chrysomitris thibetana, Montif ring ilia, 

 blanfordi, Passer pyrrhonotus, Poliospiza rufibrunnea, Serinus 

 burtoni, S. crocopygius, S. leucoplei'us, Carpodacus ambiguus, 

 Pyrrhula kurilensis, Emberiza godlewskii, Zonotrichia whitii, 

 Poospiza boliviana, Rhodospingus cruentus, and R. mentalis; 

 also heads of the different species of Paroaria, namely, 

 Paroaria cucullata, dominicana, nigrigenis, gularis, capitata, 

 and cervicalis. 



Our American friends will be surprised to find their species 

 of Leucusticte united to the genus Montifringilla ; and our 

 home ornithologists will learn with mingled feelings that the 

 Common Bunting is henceforth to be called Miliaria miliaria ! 

 We do not say that these changes are wrong, but we think 

 that the author might have told us in a few lines why he 

 had thouglit it necessary to make these and similar altera- 



