Recent Ornithological Publications. 221 



in Southern India ", however, occupies a few pages in the last 

 number of the * Journal of the Proceedings ' (vol. viii. p. 94) of 

 this venerable body. Finding an Ibis mentioned, we naturally 

 were curious to hear news of our relatives in Madras. The species 

 being called in the text Ibis falcinellus — which a foot-note con- 

 siderately informs us is a synonym of " Falcinellus igneus, Gould " 

 — we were somewhat surprised as we read on to find its eggs de- 

 scribed as being " of a dirty-white colour." Aberration in the 

 appearance of eggs being, however, an article of our creed, we 

 were incUned to let this pass ; but the next few words enlightened 

 us — " The birds are white, with black head, feet, and neck, and 

 have a long curved black bill. The head and neck are naked," &c. 

 It was plain that here was a case of mistaken identity. Instead 

 of our " Glossy " relative, the Indian representative of our own 

 " Religious " selves. Ibis melanocephala, was obviously intended. 

 Now, we have no complaint to make against Dr. Shortt. In 

 March 1864, when he last visited the '' Hunter^s Rest," we be- 

 lieve Dr. Jerdon's Third volume was unpublished ; and though, 

 even accidentally, to mistake one Ibis for another is a most serious 

 offence, it is not an unpardonable crime in one who has no sources 

 of information at hand ; but surely we have a right to ask the 

 Council of the Linnean Society, who, we believe, still keep up 

 the old system of referring to some person or persons all papers 

 intended for the Society's publications, to whom was Dr. Shortt's 

 paper submitted ? Another most grotesque error in the same 

 article is printing Graculus siennensis for G. sinensis ! 



We are indebted to Mr. J. B. Rowe for a copy of a list of 

 Devonshire Birds*, which he has drawn up. The author men- 

 tions that five-and-twenty years having elapsed since the publi- 

 cation of a list of the birds of that county, he has ventured to 

 undertake the task, in the compilation of which he has had the 

 valuable assistance of Mr. Gatcombe, a gentleman well known 

 to ornithologists. The last list of Devonshire birds, and the 

 one to which Mr. Rowe alludes, is that of Dr. Moore, in Charles- 

 worth's ' Magazine of Natural History' for 1837. Of course since 



* A Catalogue of the Mammals, Birds, Reptiles, and Amphibians indige- 

 nous to or observed in the county of Devon. By J. Brooking Rowe, F.L.S., 

 &c. Plymouth : 1863. (London, Van Voorst.) 



