Recent Literat7ire. II3 



at first glance see it was something else. The last plate (33) represents 

 the nest of the Summer Tanager, furnishing a good illustration of a "sad- 

 dled" nest — by which we mean one placed directlj' upon a large horizontal 

 bough, only confined by a few slight upright twigs. The text consists, as 

 usually heretofore, of a folio to each plate, and continues to be prepared 

 by Dr. Howard E. Jones. We find it to be a perfectly reliable account of 

 the objects represented. The authors evidently have spared no pains or 

 expense in maintaining the high standard of excellence they set for them- 

 selves at the beginning. — E. C 



Prof. Macoun's Report of Exploration.* — We hear so seldom 

 from our friends of the Dominion, as far as ornithology is concerned, that 

 the present contribution would be welcome as an index of their activity, 

 even were it of less importance than we find it to be. It is diflficult to cite 

 the brochure correctly, as it has no title-page and bears no date or place 

 of publication, and may be an "extra" of a portiori of some more exten- 

 sive government publication. However this may be, the pamphlet which 

 reaches us through Professor Macoun's kind attentions is the report of the 

 Surveyor General to the Minister of the Interior, consisting chiefly (pp. 

 8-40) of Professor Macoun's own report of his explorations during the 

 summer of iSSo of that portion of the Souris River Valley lying within 

 British Territory and of the adjoining region to the west and north — that 

 is to say, north of our territories of Dakota and Montana. The region is 

 one seldom examined even incidentally in the interests of ornithology, 

 and the present paper possesses decided value, as the observer appeared 

 to have paid special attention to the distribution of birds in the wide area 

 traversed. After a resume of the leading ornithological features of the 

 region is presented an annotated list of the species secured, 109 in number. 

 This list may be profitablj' examined in connection with the article on the 

 birds observed along the parallel of 49° by the Northern Boundary Com- 

 mission in 1873 and 1874. We feel at liberty to call attention to some 

 manuscript alterations made by the author in our copy. For Cotui-niculus 

 passerinus read Zo7iotrichia albicollis: for Myiarchus crinitus, read Tyran- 

 71US verticalis; for Archibutco lag-opus, read A. ferrugineus, the range of 

 which is thus carried beyond any point hitherto given; for Tringa canu- 

 tiis read T. bairdi; for Podi'lymbiis podtceps, read Podtceps californicus. 

 We could wish the report were better printed; but poor presswork is the 

 usual fate of public documents, English or American. — E. C 



Knowlton's Revised List of the Birds of Brandon, Vermont.! — 

 This is a briefly annotated list of 149 species occurring in the immediate 



* Extract from a Report of Exploration by Professor John Macoiin, M. A., F. L. S. 

 Report of Department of Interior (n. d., n. p. Ottawa, 1881? 8vo, pp. 48.) 



t A Revised List of the Birds of Brandon, Vt. and vicinity. By F. H. Knowiton. The 

 Brandon Union (newspaper), February 10, 1882. See also, by the same author :— A 

 Partial List of the Birds of Brandon, Vt. The Brandon Union, December 13, 1878. 



Remarks on some Western Vermont Birds. Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club, Vol. VII, 

 January, 1882, pp. 63, 64. 



