658 Recently published Ornithological Works. 



102. Scott's Experiments in rearing wild Finches. 



[An Account of some Experiments in rearing wild Finches by Foster- 

 parent Birds. By Wm, E. D. Scott. Reprinted from ' Science,' n. s. 

 xix. p. 551 (1904).] 



A series of experiments was made at Princeton by removing 

 the eggs of sitting Canaries and substituting for them, 

 wholly or in part, the eggs of other American Finches, such 

 as Melospiza melodia and Spisella pusilla. Although the 

 Canaries were excellent foster-parents and tended the young 

 assiduously, in no case did the latter live more than a few 

 days after being hatched. Mr. Scott thinks that the kind 

 of food used by the Canaries may not have agreed with the 

 young, and also that the form of the nest may, in some cases, 

 have prejudiced the health of the young birds. 



103. Scott on the Inheritance of Song. 



[The Inheritance of Song in Passerine Birds. By Wm. E. D. Scott. 

 Reprinted from ' Science,' n. s. vol. xix. p. 104 (1904)." 



Mr. Scott ascertained by experiment that the young of 

 two species of Passerine birds [Dolichonyx oryzivorus and 

 Agelcsus phceniceus) reared so as never to hear the song of 

 their own species, but allowed to hear other kinds of birds 

 sing, never acquired the habitual song of their own species, 

 so that competent judges, well acquainted with the song, 

 could not recognise that of these specially reared birds. 

 This would seem to indicate that the song of birds is 

 not inherited, but acquired by hearing the parent birds 



104. Shufeldt on the Pygopodes. 



[On the Osteology and Systematic Position of the Pygopodes. By R. 

 W. Shufeldt. Reprinted from the ' American Naturalist. ' vol. xxxviii. 

 no. 425 (1864). 



This is another of Dr. Shufeldt's elaborate essays on the 

 osteological structure or Birds. It relates to the " Pygo- 

 podes/'' which are classified as a Suborder divided into two 

 ■• Superfamilies " — the Grebes (Podicipoidea ) and the Loons 



