Recently published Ornithological Works. 317 



that tliey will be able to avoid this pit-fall, or, at any rate, 

 will not give the subspecies the same rank as the species. 



Finally, we may express our satisfaction at the quotations 

 in this work, and the almost complete absence of printer's 

 and Editor's errors. The paper and print are also ex- 

 cellent. 



Four thousand five hundred and sixty-one species are 

 listed in the ' Birds of South America,' and are referred to 

 eight hundred and seventy-four genera. 



Bryant on Birds and Grasshoppers. 



[Birds in relation to a Grasshopper Outbreak in California. By II. C. 

 Bryant. Univ. Cal. Publ., Zool. xi. 1912, pp. 1-20.] 



In this country, happily, we do not suffer much from the 

 ravages of such insects as locusts and grasshoppers, but, as 

 is well known, in many other parts of the world the destruc- 

 tion of growing crops by insects is most serious. Any means 

 that can be found for lessening the plague of insects are 

 therefore most welcome ; and it has been discovered that one 

 of the most successful remedies is supplied by Nature in the 

 form of insect-eating birds, some of which at certain seasons 

 appear to subsist entirely on grasshoppers. 



The essay now before us contains full particulars on this 

 subject, and contains the names of the birds that are chiefly 

 concerned in this excellent work, as proved by an exami- 

 nation of their stomachs. The American " Meadow-Lark " 

 (^S turtle II a) is stated to live almost entirely on grasshoppers 

 where they are abundant, and the little Burrowing Owl is 

 mentioned as a most efficient destroyer of these noxious 

 insects. 



Hellmayr on Two new Birds from the Timor Group. 

 [Descriptions of Two new Birds from the Timor Group. By C. E. 

 Hellmayr. Nov. Zool. xix. 1912, pp. 210-211.] 



The new forms are named Dicaum hanieli and Neopsiftacus 

 iris wetterensis. The first-named was discovered by Mr. C. 

 B. Haniel, the second by Mr. H. Klihn. 



