528 Recent Ornithological Publications. 



indeed must be the feelings of any man who professes to be an 

 admirer of nature, and yet cannot appreciate their charms. 



2. French. 



The ' Nouvelles Archives du Museum ' include a report by 

 Professor Milne-Edwards on some collections sent to Paris by 

 the Pere Armand David, a Lazarist Missionary at Pekin, and 

 presented at the meeting of the Administrators on the 26th 

 September, 1864. This report is of considerable interest, as 

 most of the birds mentioned in it are either rare or obscure 

 species. Chief among them are three specimens of the Cros- 

 soptilum, which was provisionally designated by Mr. Swinhoe 

 (P. Z. S. 1862, p. 287) as C. mantchuricum, under the belief 

 that it would prove distinct from the Phasianus auritus of 

 Pallas (Z. E.-A. ii. p. 86), a belief, however, not shared by 

 Mr. Sclater (P. Z. S. 1863, p. 118), though since entertained 

 by Mr. G. R. Gray (P. Z. S. 1864, p. 260). M. Milne-Edwards 

 considers it now established that the specimen obtained by Dr. 

 Lamprey, and described by Mr. Swinhoe, is identical with 

 Pallas's species ; and consequently the old name must be re- 

 tained, and the bird will stand as C. auritum (Pallas). It is 

 stated that — 



" Le P. Armand David rencontra pour la premiere fois ces 

 oiseaux rares en juillet 1863, dans les vallees septentrionales 

 d'une haute montagne situee a une quinzaine de lieues a Fouest 

 de Pekin, et il constata, d'une part, que la femelle ne differe 

 que tres peu du male (sa taille etant seulement un peu moindre, 

 et ses ergots rudimentaires) ; d' autre part, que la livree de 

 noces ne differe en rien du plumage d'hiver. Pris au collet et 

 mis en voliere, ces oiseaux se montrent doux et familiers ; leur 

 voix est variee et ressemble beaucoup a celle de la poule. Les 

 Chinois les connaissent sous le nom de Ho-ki ou de Gho-hj." 



Specimens also of Mr. George Gray^s lately described Pu- 

 crasia xanthospila were contained in M. David's collection; 

 and of this, as well as the last-mentioned species, figures are 

 given. M. Milne-Edwards remarks, too, an example of a Ring- 

 necked Pheasant from Mongolia, which has characters in com- 

 mon with Phasianus mongolicus, as figured by Mr. Gould 

 (B. As. Part X.), and the well-known P. torquatus. Hence the 



