124 Recently published Ornithological Works. 



mus longipes (if distinct from (E. grallarius), from N.W. Aus- 

 tralia_, and Ninox albaria, from Lord Howe's Island^ most 

 nearly allied to N. novce-zeJandice. 



25. Regalia on the Claios of Birds. 



[Unghie ai diti I. e II. della Mano in Uccelli italiani, [per] E. Regalia. 

 Processo Verbale d. Soc. Toscana d. Sci. Nat. 1888, p. 86.] 



We are glad to find another naturalist working at the 

 claws of the bird's digits on which subject much more inves- 

 tigation is still required. Sig. Regalia divides claw-bearing 

 birds into three categories : — (1) Those with a claw on the 

 poUex only ; (2) Those with a claw on the index only ; (3) 

 Those Avith a claw on the poUex and index. He has ex- 

 amined only Italian species. His second category is based 

 on a somewhat doubtful case of a Bittern {Botaurus stellaris) 

 in which the last phalanx of the second digit had a small 

 mass of substance with the " aspetto di un' unghia.^' The 

 third category is of great interest^ although we cannot quite 

 agree with the author's statement that the existence of a claw 

 on the second digit has hitherto been recognized only in the 

 Ratitae. The following Italian birds are given as having 

 claws, more or less developed, on the pollex and index : — 

 PhKnicopterus roseus, Nettion crecca, Fulix ferina, Griis com- 

 mnnis {?), Totanus fuscus, T. nebularius, Gallinago ccelestis, 

 Colymbus arcticus, C. septentrionalis, and Podiceps fluviati- 

 lis. Sig. Regalia seems not to be acquainted with our articles 

 on the claws and sj)urs of birds published in this Journal for 

 1886 (pp. 147 & 300). 



26. Report of the Ornithologist of the U.S. Department of 

 Agriculture. 



[Report of the Ornitlaologist, 0. Hart Merriam, M.D., for the year 1887. 

 From the Annual Report of the Department of Agriculture for the year 

 1887. 8vo. Washington: 1888.] 



Dr. C. Hart Merriam's second annual Report consists of a 

 short genera] statement of the work done in the division of 

 Economic Ornithology and IMammalogy of the Department of 

 Agriculture, and of a number of special reports annexed 

 thereto. The general work performed in 1887 consisted 



