Recently published Ornithological Works. 345 



whether, as an old superstition has it, bed-bugs are found in 

 Swallow^s nests. He finds that though other species of the 

 genus Acanthia are often parasitic on various species of 

 birds, the true A. lectularia never associates with Swallows, 

 which are and should be encouraged to build in the neigh- 

 bourhood of houses, as they are invaluable for reducing the 

 plague of flies so common in the west of America. 



The veteran Dr. E, W. Shufeldt (p. 138) contributes some 

 good photographs, taken by himself, of the eggs of Limicoline 

 birds in the collection of Mr. E. J. Court of Washington, 

 D.C., and Mr. H. S. Swarth (p. 167) revises the Californian 

 forms of the Spotted Towhee {Pipilo maculatus) occurring in 

 California, and finds it necessary to describe a new form, 

 P. m.falcinellus, inhabiting the central and northern-central 

 portions of the State. As in the case of many other birds, 

 the alternations of moist and humid conditions with those 

 of great aridity in different parts of the State cause a con- 

 siderable amount of variation and the formation of numerous 

 distinguishable races. 



Some other papers of special interest, especially those 

 of Mr. Grinnell, have already been referred to separately 

 in ' The Ibis ' for last year, but there are in addition a 

 number of articles of more or less local interest, not only 

 on the birds of California, but also on those of Utah, 

 Montana, and other western States, well worth the attention 

 of such of our members who are interested in American 

 ornithology. 



Le Gerfaut. 



[Le Gerfaut. Revue beige d'Ornithologie. Publi6e par la Soci^te 

 ornithologique du Centre de la Belgique. Bruxelles (F. van Buggen- 

 heodt). 3e Amiee, Octobre 1913.] 



We have recently received a copy of the Belgian monthly 

 journal of ornithology, which, though new to us, seems to 

 be already in its third year. It is edited by M. Marcel de 

 Contreres, and appears to be the official organ of several 

 ornithological societies and clubs existing in Belgium. 

 Some of these are avicultural in their aims, some profess 



