506 Recently puUished Ornithological Works. [Ibis, 



striffoides), and Micropodargus (for ocellatus and plumiferus) . 

 The extralimital Batrachostomus ought probably, we are told, 

 to be similarly treated; while ^gotheles is divided into that 

 genus proper and Eucegotheles now newly propounded, 



Podargus strigoides requires several pages of synonymy, 

 which is very carefully worked out. To give two instances : 

 P. strigoides, megacephalus, and gracilis depend upon three 

 drawings of the same specimen ; P. humeralis, stanleyanus, 

 and cuvieri represent one species from the Linnean Society^s 

 collection. The species of former authors are often merely 

 recognizable as subspecies ; and these, with Mr. Mathews's 

 own (including two new phases, centralia from Central 

 Australia and capensis from Cape York), number no fewer 

 than thirteen, among which rossi at least differs in its com- 

 paratively small eggs. 



The controversy as to the sounds made by this well-known 

 bird is not yet finally decided — that is, whether it cries 

 ''boobook," like the Owl of that name. Good authorities 

 differ ; but we should like to suggest that this is probably a 

 question of " personal equation," and that, where two birds 

 utter hooting notes, these may sound like " boobook " to 

 one man and not to another. Surely the varying opinions 

 point to the whole question being a matter of degree only, 

 and that the cries if heard simultaneously would be unmis- 

 takable. 



Under Micropodargus the *' species '^ ocellatus and mar- 

 moratus are stated to be identical, while plumiferus loses its 

 subspecies neglectus. Under jEgotheles cristata, again, we 

 have seven subspecies, with four that are new, and rufa 

 discarded. As a specific name cristata just antedates nova- 

 hollandia:, of which leucogaster and vittatus are synonyms. 



Of the Coraciiformes we only have in Australia the 

 " Dollar-bird," Eurystomus orientalis, synonymous with 

 pacificus, and even the subspecies bravi is cancelled. 



A thorough discussion is given of the divisions of the 

 Alcedinidse with reference to the views of former writers, 

 and especially Miller in the United States. As, however. 



