NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 269 



longer amongst us, who would have hailed with delight the 

 appearance of the present work, and who would, moreover, have 

 helped generously (as he was always ready to do) to make it still 

 more perfect. It need scarcely be said that we refer to the late 

 Marquis of Tweeddale, who himself contributed to ' The Ibis,' 

 • The Annals,' the 'Proceedings' of the Zoological Society, and 

 Blyth's ' Catalogue ' much valuable information touching the 

 Ornithology of Burmah. 



Until we have before us Mr. Oates' second volume, in which 

 doubtless he will criticise, hi his ' Introduction,' the character of 

 of the Burmese avifauna, it would perhaps be premature to discuss 

 this question. We do not, however, forget what Lord Tweeddale 

 has written thereon in ' The Ibis ' for October, 1875, and may 

 appropriately quote his last paragraph as follows :— 



" The word Burma cannot in any sense be used to express a well-defined 

 zoological province or subprovince. In Blyth's ' List ' it is employed for all 

 those regions which formerly constituted the Burmese Empire, three ot 

 which within the last fifty years have been ceded to Great Britain, namely, 

 Arracan, Teuasserim, and Pegu. It is bordered by countries possessing 

 ornithological features more or less peculiar ; and where the Burmese 

 territory comes in contact with any one of these countries, it is, as might 

 be supposed, more or less peopled by their characteristic forms. But the 

 presence of peculiar Javan forms, unknown in Malacca or Sumatra, if it be 

 a fact, is a marked characteristic, which cannot be accounted for by contact 

 of present boundaries." 



Mr. Oates, in his first volume, deals solely with the Passeres, 

 commencing with the Turdidce, according to the latest (though 

 not universally approved) fashion. Opening the book at random 

 we find a page (p. 15) devoted to " Erithacus cceruleculus, the 

 Arctic Blue-throated Robin." Why " Robin," may we ask ? Why 

 not " Bluethroat," as we say " Whitethroat " ? Again, why 

 "Arctic" ? for Mr. Oates says " this bird has a most extensive 

 range. In summer it is found in Northern Europe and Asia ; in 

 the latter continent as far south as the Himalayas. In winter it 

 migrates south, and ranges over the whole of Europe, North 

 Africa, and Southern Asia." As Jerdon identified this bird with 

 Cyanecula suecica (Linnaeus), it would have been just as well had 

 Mr. Oates pointed out in what respects it differs from that species, 

 or, if not different, why the specific name bestowed by Linnaaus 

 has been superseded by that of Pallas. 



