Recently published Ornithological Works. 581 



love birds in America. To us in England, of course, the 

 Mexican forms of bird-life are less familiar, but the writer's 

 lively descriptions of his adventures amongst them will be 

 much appreciated by his brother ornithologists. Mr. Beebe, 

 wisely perhaps, dispenses altogether with the scientific 

 names of the birds mentioned in his narrative. But he calls 

 them by English names, which in many cases, in Europe at 

 least, are less intelligible than their Latin equivalents. Who, 

 for example, would know that a " Varied Bunting" meant 

 Cyanospiza versicolor, or a " Giraud Flycatcher " Myiozetetes 

 similis ? It is true that there is a systematically arranged 

 " Appendix " with both the English and Latin names of each 

 bird, which enables the patient reader to solve some of these 

 enigmas, but the task is by no means easy. 



The concluding chapter by Mrs. Beebe on " How we did 

 it " is not one of the least amusing parts of the work. The 

 advice given to future explorers of the wilds of Mexico is, 

 no doubt, excellent. We are not surprised to learn that the 

 simple countrymen were much impressed when they saw the 

 "Seiiorita" riding along astride with a divided skirt ! But 

 that is, no doubt, the proper costume out-of-doors for a lady 

 travelling in Mexico. 



69. Bianchi on the Birds of Prjevalski's Journeys in Central 

 Asia. 



[Wissenschaftliche Resultate der von N. M. Prjewalski nach Central- 

 Asien unternommen Reisen. Auf Kosten einer von seiner kaiserlichen 

 Iloheit dem Grossfiirsten-Thronfolger Nikolai Alexandrowitsch gespen- 

 deten Summe herausgegeben von der kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissen- 

 scbaften. Zoologiscber Theil. Band II. Vcigel. Bearbeitet von V. 

 Biancbi. Lief. 4. Folio. St. Petersburg, 1905.] 



We are much pleased to find that Prof. Bianchi has taken 

 up the task of completing the account of the important 

 collections of birds made by Prjevalski during his four 

 celebrated expeditions in Central Asia. The first three 

 parts were prepared by Herr Pleske (see ' Ibis/ 1890, p. 256, 

 and 1895, p. 286). Since 1894 no further instalments have 

 been issued, but we have now before us the fourth part 



