68 Bibliographical Notices. 



The Ibis ; a Magazine of General Ornithology. Edited by Philip 

 LuTLEY ScLATER, M.A. Vol. ii. Trubner & Co. 1860. 



The second yearly volume of the ' Ibis ' is now before us. Enough 

 has been said, on a former occasion, of the scope and character of 

 this Magazine. It only remains to say that the 'Ibis' for 1860 

 keeps up tlie promise of that of 1859, and fully sustains the reputa- 

 tion of its editor. 



The second volume of the ' Ibis ' contains articles upon the birds 

 of Turkey and Greece, Northern Africa, North-east Africa, Eastern 

 Africa, Natal, Celebes, New Guinea, China (Amoy), Arctic America, 

 Hudson's Bay, Honduras, Guatemala, the Falkland Isles, as well as 

 several separate notices of individual species. 



The papers of Messrs. Tristram, Simpson, and Powys, and Mr. 

 Moore's history of the occurrence of Pallas's Sand-Grouse (/Syn-Aop^e* 

 paradoxus) near Tremadoc, will be found interesting alike to British 

 and general ornithologists. So also is the account of the edible 

 Swallows' nests, given by Mr. Blyth, who tells us that these nests 

 are formed from a certain secretion proceeding from the salivary 

 glands of the bird. Still it would be desirable to know what sub- 

 stances are taken for food by these birds during the exceptional 

 period of nesting ; for it is hard to believe that the viscous saliva of 

 a Swift could be developed in so extraordinary a degree unless it 

 were supplied by a corresponding diet. 



Mr. O. Salvin has returned from Guatemala with rich stores of 

 new and important information. 



A memoir of the late John WoUey is a well-deserved tribute to the 

 memory of one of the most diligent and successful of ornithological 

 explorers, himself an early and zealous promoter of the ' Ibis.' 



There is in the present volume a careful review of M. O. des Murs's 

 • Oologie Ornithologique ;' and we cordially agree with the remark 

 of the writer (p. 335) that any " scheme composed solely with refer- 

 ence to this one branch would never lead us to the true comprehen- 

 sion of the system of nature." To make Oology the foundation of 

 a system of classification would be as great a mistake as to consider 

 egg-taking the chief and sole object of a travelling naturalist ; though, 

 if ornithologists could be persuaded to reckon separately, as indige- 

 nous to a country, only the birds which nest in it, we believe great 

 advantage would accrue to the science, both on account of the sound 

 basis thus to be secured for views of geographical distribution, and, 

 especially, as this would aiford a starting-point from which to obtain 

 some insight into the laws of migration. Mr. Newton's remarks on 

 the migratory habits of the Song-Thrush lend great support to the 

 idea that, to a certain extent, all birds are migratory. 



The anatomical part of the subject is ably sustained by Mr. R. F. 

 Tomes, who contributes a paper on the internal structure of the 

 Bearded Titmouse (Calamojihilus biarmicus). 



Recent works relating to ornithology continue to be carefully no- 

 Xiced, as well as the proceedings of travellers in foreign countries. 



We could still wish to see an increase in the number of contribu- 



