532 Recent Ornithological Publications. 



Of the two species resident near Geneva^ one is the Willow- 

 Wren {Phyllopneuste trochilus), the other the Redbreast [Erij- 

 thacus ruhecula), the last also being the only Warbler which 

 never quits the Hasli. On the vexed and difficult subject of 

 Parus horealis, M. Fatio goes into very minute details, and arrives 

 at the conclusion not only that it is a perfectly good species, 

 but also that P. alpestris, which is intermediate between the 

 so-called P. borealis and P. palustris, can be distinguished from 

 the latter, though so closely resembling it. We have never 

 enjoyed the opportunity of comparing a series of Swiss and 

 Scandinavian specimens ; we are therefore not in a position to 

 give an opinion on these careful investigations; but we have 

 elsewhere expressed our belief that the type specimens of our 

 friend M. de Selys-Longchamps's P. horealis are not specifically 

 distinct from P. palustris (BreCj B. Eur. iii. p. 8), a belief which 

 has hardly been shaken by the testimony of Prof. Lilljeborg 

 (Bree, B. Eur. iv. pp. 214-216) . The " Oometre " invented by 

 M. Fatio is an ingenious instrument, and one which we should 

 very much like to see brought into general use in oological descrip- 

 tions, as by its means, besides the dimensions, the actual shape 

 of an egg can be expressed so as to be intelligible to those who 

 may not be frightened at the sight of a few (and they are only 

 a few) algebraical symbols. 



The letters of M. Olph-Galliard relate to some supposed 

 hybrids between Caccahis petrosa and C. graca, a dozen of which 

 WTre recently living in the Zoological Gardens at Lyons, and are 

 stated to have been received from Nice. The Analyses, which 

 this first portion of the ' Bulletin ' contains, show that ' The 

 Ibis ' is highly appreciated in Switzerland, and appear to be ex- 

 tremely w^ell executed. In conclusion, we have to offer the 

 Societe Ornithologique Suisse (among the members of which we 

 are happy to see enrolled one of the brethren of the B. 0. U.) 

 our best thanks for this valuable contribution to the literature 

 of our science, and our hearty wishes for their prosperity. 



4. Dutch. 



The want of an index to Bonaparte's ' Conspectus ' has long 

 been painfully felt by ornithologists, since that work, unfinished 



