364 Recently published Ornithological Works. 



works on Cauadian Birds, and promises us, moreover, a com- 

 plete bibliography of Canadian Ornithology, which is already 

 '^ well under way." The Catalogue contains the names of 

 the North-American Birds as yet known to be met with in 

 Canada, in systematic order, with notes on the mode and 

 frequency of their occurrence. The system adopted is that 

 of the Check-list of the A. O. U. In the subsequently 

 issued " Systematic Table," only the names, English and 

 Latin, are given, together with the higher groups to which 

 the species are referred. It appears that out of the 1028 

 species of birds now admitted into the North-American list 

 551 are registered as Canadian. Mr. Chamberlain in his 

 preface makes some apposite remarks upon the vexed question 

 of subspecies. 



68. Dubois on the Birds of Belgium. 



[Fauna des Vertebras de la Belgique. Par Alpliouse Dubois. S<5rie 

 des Oiseaux, Tomo I. (1876-1887). 4to. Bruxelles : 1887.] 



In this carefully compiled work. Dr. Dubois follows the 

 old scheme of classification, and, commencing with the Rap- 

 tores, places the Goatsuckers and Swifts among the Passeres, 

 far away from the Woodpeckers, Cuckoos, &c., which we are 

 accustomed to find united with them in the Order Picarise. 

 The letterpress is, as a rule, excellent, and great pains 

 have evidently been taken with the geographical distribution, 

 which is further indicated by small coloured maps accom- 

 panying each species. Turning over the pages, we see with 

 some surprise that the author has omitted to notice the 

 remarkable fact that all the Hawk Owls obtained in the 

 British Islands have, with one exception, belonged to the 

 North American, and not to the Paltcarctic form. Dr. Dubois 

 distinguishes the slightly smaller and brighter-coloured 

 Tree Sparrow which inhabits the Malay Peninsula and Java 

 as Passer montanus, var. 7nalaccensis. The book is rather 

 bulky and inconvenient for handling, but certainly nothing 

 so good in quality has hitherto been published in the French 

 language. 



I 



