510 Recently published Ornithological Works. [Ibis, 



very little in the matter of devouring injurious insects. The 

 Starling seems to have a better record, as it kills and eats 

 a number of injurious insects and molluscs. In regard to 

 the economic status of the Chaffinch, theautliors seem to be 

 rather dubious, but they are inclined to look upon it as 

 neutral. It is mainly insectivorous in the summer months, 

 and feeds on grain and weed- seeds in the autumn and winter. 

 Altogether, the reports do not seem to help one to any 

 very definite conclusions ; probably a great many more 

 observations must be recorded before anything satisfactory 

 can be deduced. 



Thorburn' s ' British Birds.' 



[British Birds : written and illustrated by A. Thorburn, RZ.S. 

 Sapplementar}^ Part, with two plates in colour. London (Longmans), 

 1918. 4to.] 



We understand that the demand for Mr. Thorburn's 

 beautiful work on British Birds has been so great that 

 the publishers have been compelled to issue a new edition 

 before the completion of the first, and the present supple- 

 mentary part which is included in the new edition is issued 

 separately to those who are the fortunate possessors of the 

 first. 



In it are illustrations of some of the birds recently 

 recorded as having been taken in Great Britain for the 

 first time, such as Sylvia riippelli and Lusciniola melano- 

 pugon, as well as of some which have recently been shown 

 to be distinct from previously known forms, such as Turdus 

 hebridensis, Pa7'us hibernicus, and Parus kleinschmidti. 



The two plates are worthy successors to those already 

 issued and should be obtained by all those who are the 

 happy possessors of the previous volumes. 



Wetmore''s recent papers. 



[A new Honey-eater from the Marianne Islands. By Alexander 

 Wetmore. Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, vol. 30, 1917, pp. 117, 118.] 



[The relationships of the fossil bird Palceochenoides viioceamis. Id. 

 Journ. Geol. Chicago, xxv. 1917, pp. 555-557.] 



