70 BULLETIN OF THE NUTTALL 



Mr. Salvin's second paper is a careful examination of the new species 

 of Petrels obtained V)y Dr. H. H. Giglioli during the voyage of the Italian 

 corvette " Magenta " round the world, and described in the " Ibis " in 

 1869. Mr. Salvin examined the type specimens, and accompanies his 

 review Avith fine illustrations drawn by the well-known bird-painter, 

 Keulemans. These species, according to Mr. Salvin, should all stand as 

 good and novel species. Their names are as follows : XEstrelata marjentce, 

 (E. armingoniana, (E. trinitatis, (E. dcfdippiana, and Puffimis elegans, — 

 T. M. B. 



Catalogue of the Birds op the Islands of Malta and Gozo. — 

 The Boston Public Library has recently received a copy of Mr. Grant's 

 catalogue of Birds found on the islands of Malta and Gozo. Naturally, 

 a list of the birds occurring in these islands, situated midway between the 

 northern coast of Africa and the southern shores of Europe, divides into 

 three principal groups : migratory birds, properly Eurojoean ; visitants, 

 from Africa ; and resident species. Besides these, not always distinguish- 

 able, are purely accidental or chance callers. Among the most noticeable 

 of this small group it is interesting to note such purely American species 

 as Tringoides macularius, Aditurus bartraviius, and Larus atricilla. Tryn- 

 gites rufescens, American, but not uncommon in Europe, has also been 

 found there. We also notice the occurrence in these islands of birds that - 

 are somewhat cosmopolitan as well as North American, such as Rissa tri- 

 dactyla, Larus marinus, Plectrophanes nivalis, Tringa canutiis, T. maritima, 

 T. subarquata, T. mamlata, Strepsilas interpres, Anom stolida, and several 

 species of Ducks, common to both continents. — T. M. B. 



Ridgway's "Studies of the American FALCONiDiE." — During the 

 last two years Mr. Robert Ridgway has given lis, in a series of special 

 papers, some of the results of his protracted investigation of the American 

 Falconidre. In June, 1875, appeared his " Outlines of a Natural Arrange- 

 ment of the Faleonidw" * based on an extended examination of the oste- 

 ology of the leading types of raptorial birds. In this paper he indorses 

 most fully the classification of the Birds of Prey proposed in 1867 by 

 Professor Huxley, Avhich unites the Old- World Vultures (Vulturidce of 

 most authors) with the Falconidce, separates the Secretary Bird as an inde- 

 pendent family {SerpentariidcB), and makes the Vultures of the New World 

 a fiimily (Carthartidm) distinct from the other Diurnal Birds of Prey. 

 Mr. Ridgway recognizes among the Falconidce only two subfamilies, — 

 namely, Falconinre and Buteonince, — thereby differing very widely from 

 most previous writers, some of whose classifications he rather sharply 

 criticises. The subfamily Falconinm he arranges in four minor divisions 

 or " groups," under the names Falcones, Pohjbori, Micrasfures, and Herpeto- 



* Bull. U. S. Geol. and Geogr. Survey of the Terr., Vol. I, No. 4, pp. 225- 

 231, pis, xi-xviii, June 10, 1875. 



