342 Recent Ornithological Publications. 



thologie/ p. 464) the intelligence that, in May 1864, Dr. Kriiper 

 found a nest with four eggs of this little-known bird near Smyrna, 

 Dr. Sclater kindly informs us that, when he was at Vienna last 

 autumUj he became aware that Astur brevipes was no other than 

 the Accipiter gurneyi, founded on examples received from Beyrout 

 (Ibis, 1859, p. 390), and described and well figured byDr. Bree 

 (B. Eur. iv. p. 158), of which mention has before been made in 

 this Journal (Ibis, 1863, p. 463) ; and Mr. Gurney has written 

 to us to corroborate this identification. But what is still more 

 interesting, Mr. Gurney finds that the specimens obtained in 

 Galilee by Mr. Tristram, and supposed by him (P. Z. S. 1864, 

 p. 429) to be the A. sphenurus of Bilppell, also belong to this 

 species. This discovery was made just in time to insert the 

 right specific name in the paper on the " Ornithology of Pales- 

 tine," printed in our present number {supra, p. 260), though 

 not soon enough to admit of Mr. Tristram's there giving an ex- 

 planation of the facts of the case. The species, however, as we 

 are informed by Mr. Gurney, should be referred to the genus 

 Micronisus, and accordingly will take its place as Micronisus 

 brevipes (Severzow). All we at present know of its history may 

 be condensed into these few words, that it occurs in Southern 

 Russia from April to August, and probably breeds there, as it 

 certainly does in Asia Minor, and that it has been met with once 

 in Greece and several times in Syria. Herr Seidensacher con- 

 siders Micronisus brevijjes to be identical with the Indian M. 

 badius, and it is probably the species referred to under this last 

 name in Professor Blasius's ' List of the Birds of Europe' (p. 4) ; 

 but Mr. Gurney is very confident that the two birds, though 

 nearly allied, are quite distinct. 



i 5. Dutch. 



The Sixth Part of Professor SchlegePs Catalogue of the 

 Leyden Museum *, containing the continuation of Scolopaces, 

 has reached us. As the account of this group, however, is 

 still unfinished, we at present forbear from any special remarks 



* 'Museum d'Histoire Naturelle des Pays-Bas,' 6"^ liviaison. Ley- 

 den (no date). (London : Williams and Norgate). 



