176 Recently published Ornithological Works. 



nest of the Anthoscopus is nicely figured. Some new eggs 

 from the same collector are also described. Two eggs of 

 Turacns chalcolophus were taken from a nest on an Acacia, 

 built like that of a Wood-Pigeon and about twelve feet from 

 the ground. They are of a dull white, without lustre. 



19. MartoreUi on Variation in the Ring- Ousel. 



[Le Variazioni della Merula torquata (Naiim.). By Prof. Giacinto 

 MartoreUi. Atti Soc. Ital. Sci. Nat. xlviii. (1910), 27 pp., 1 pi. 

 (separately printed).] 



The author does not consider that Merula alpestris and 

 M. orientalis are valid species, while he has taken great 

 trouble to examine into the question of the variations of 

 the Ring-Ousel. He has watched the living birds, and has 

 procured examples at all ages and in all states of plumage, 

 chiefly from Italy. The variation, which appears to be 

 considerable, is further shown by a plate depicting the 

 separate feathers. 



20. Mathews on the Birds of Australia. 



[The Birds of Australia. By Gregory M. Mathews. With hand-coloured 

 plates. Vol. i. pt. i. London: November, 1910. Witherhy & Co.] 



We have now before us the first part of this new work on 

 Australian Birds, which is the more welcome as that of 

 Gould has been long out of date, and we shall now be able 

 to form a clear opinion on the validity of any species or 

 subspecies that has been described since his day, and to 

 get a more comprehensive grasp of the avifauna of the 

 Commonwealth than is possible when the literature was 

 scattered. ]\lr. jNIathews is himself a native of Australia, 

 who has lived among the birds of the country, while he 

 now resides near London, and therefore has ready access 

 to British collections. He has himself a very extensive 

 library of books dealing with his subject, to which he is 

 constantly adding, and is thereby enabled to make a point 

 of checking every reference, and also to state with certainty 

 the locality whence the type-s[)ccimen of any form has 



