350 Receiii/f/ published Ornithological iVorks. [Ibis, 



toxic action of certain soluble salts found in alkali, chiefly 

 chlorides of calcium and magnesium. During the summer 

 months, when but little fresh water comes down the rivers, 

 the pools on tlie mudflats where the ducks feed become so 

 strongly impregnated with these salts that the birds' intes- 

 tines are no longer able to perform their proper functions. 

 That this is the true cause is shown by the fact that when 

 the sick and dying biids were collected and placed in pens 

 and given fresh water to drink, they rapidly recovered. 

 Mr. Wetmore states that the remedial measures which pro- 

 mised success in dealing with the trouble are : (I) Increasing 

 the supply of fresh water in the streams, which, iiowever, is 

 not very feasible as all the water available is required for 

 irrigation higher up the streams ; (2) Draining the aftected 

 areas; (3) Collecting the sick ducks for treatment. The 

 whole subject is exceedingly interesting and is most clearly 

 and successfully dealt with by the author. 



The second paper is chiefly of local interest, containing a 

 list of 62 species of birds found in Oklahoma, a State of the 

 " middle west," the bird-life of which is not very well known 

 as compared with other portions of the United States. 



Desecheo Island is only about one and a quarter Ijy 

 three quarters of a mile in size anti lies between Porto 

 Rico and San Domingo, Mr. Wetmore spent three or four 

 days there in June 1912. It is very diy and hot and there 

 are no springs. Mr. Wetmore records the occurrence of 

 eleven species, the most abundant of wiiich is the Booby 

 {Sula hucogastra), which nests on the isUmd in very large 

 numbers. The Noddy, Anoiis stolidus, and the Bridled 

 Tern, Sterna ancetheta, also breed there. 



The new Bittern from the Philippines is a form of 

 Ixobrychus sinensis, ami is called I. s. astrologus from its 

 habit, common to all Bitterns, of star-gazing. 



But little has been published on the anatomy oi Ni/c(ibius, 

 a genus of aberrant Nightjars confined to the Antilles and 

 South America. Mr. Wetmore has been able to examine 

 the body preserved in alcohol of the type-specimen of 

 iV. griseus abbotti, lately described from Haiti, and adds a 



