732 Recently published Ornithological Works. 



that the Bahamas (which are oceanic islands " of compara- 

 tively recent origin") have been peopled with bird-life 

 mainly from these two sources. 



In conclusion, the author gives us a complete list of 

 Bahaman birds and their exact localities, but does not 

 specify exactly the species of which examples were secured 

 during the expedition in which he took part. 



133. Stonham' s 'Birds of the British. Islands.' 



[The Birds of the British Islands. By Charles Stonham, C.M.Z.S.. 

 F.R.C.S., F.Z.S. With Illustrations by L. M. Medland. Vol. i. part i. 

 London : Grant Richards, 1906. Price 7s. 6d. net.] 



We are sorry not to be able to say much in praise of 

 Mr. Stonham's " new work on an old subject," of which the 

 first part is now before us, with an invitation to express our 

 opinion on it. We cannot admire the illustrations, although 

 we are told that " no trouble has been spared to ensure the 

 greatest accuracy and beauty." Those of the Thrushes, 

 which we should suppose would be easy subjects for an 

 artist's pencil, are by no means pleasing to us. 



Mr. Stonham wisely follows (very nearly) the nomen- 

 clature and arrangement of the List of the B. O. U., with 

 Avhich we are all familiar, atid in the present number treats 

 of thirteen well-known species, omitting those of rare or 

 accidental occurrence. We quite approve of the plan of 

 giving, as far as possible, the " correct derivation of the 

 English and scientific names of the birds/' but we cannot 

 agree with the author's views on this subject in every case. 

 For instance, " rubus," not " rubeus" is the Latin for a 

 bramble. 



134. Townshend on the Birds of Massachusetts. 



[The Birds of Essex County, Massachusetts. By C. "W. Townshend, 

 M.D. (Memoirs of the Nuttall Ornithological Club, No. iii.) Cambridge, 

 Mass., 1905. 1 vol., 4to. 352 pp.] 



This is a well-written and clearly-printed essay on the 

 birds of a district in the north-east corner of Massachusetts, 



