Recently publislied Orn'dholoyical IVurks. 465 



work. There is, so far as we are aware, no other Collection 

 that is likely to rival it, either in extent or in the richness 

 of its contents, the hest on the Continent being that of 

 Nehrkorn, which, we believe, is now merged in the Berlin 

 Mnseum. 



When the plan of the great Catalogue of Birds was formed 

 we believe that eggs were considered, but it was decided 

 to place them in a separate series, in agreement with the 

 nomenclature and arrangement of the ' Catalogue of Birds,' 

 and this plan has been adhered to throughout. The pre- 

 paration of the first volume of the Catalogue of Eggs was 

 placed in the hands of the late Mr. Eugene W. Gates, well 

 known as a great authority on the Birds of India and as a 

 reliable coadjutor to the late Mr. Allan Hume. It begins 

 with the lowest forms of Bird-life, those related to the 

 Batitffi and the inferior groups of the Carinatse. In the 

 introduction will be found an excellent summary of the 

 principal additions made to the Collection in each year 

 since about 1842, calling attention to such as were of 

 special importance, as the Seebohm Collection, the Hume 

 Collection, and the Salvin-Godnian Collection. In the 

 first volume of the Catalogue of Eggs, 12,150 specimens 

 were enumerated and referred to 520 species. This volume 

 is illustrated by 18 coloured plates, and was published in 

 1901. 



The second volume of the Catalogue, which was issued in 

 1902, was prepared by the same author and continues the 

 account of the eggs of the Orders succeeding the Lari- 

 formes (according to Dr. Sharpe's arrangement). It relates 

 to ten of these, which are represented in the British Museum 

 by 14,998 specimens of eggs referred to 726 species. Eour- 

 teen beautiful plates illustrate this volume. 



In the preparation of the third volume, unfortunately, 

 owing to Mr. Gates' failing health, it became necessary 

 to make some change in the authorship, and the name of 

 Capt. Savile G. Reid, \\e\\ known for his writings on the birds 

 of South Africa, became associated with that of Mr. Gates. 

 The volume was published in 1903, and continued to follow 



