Becently published Ornithological Works. 637 



and Coturniaf), as well as in Itheifjinis and Tragopan, the moult 

 of tlie tail begins with the central rectrices and proceeds 

 regularly outward. la Phasianus and the allied genera, 

 including Gallus, the moult commences with the outer pair 

 of tail-feathers and proceeds inwards, the central pair 

 being the last to be shed. A third subfamily, termed by 

 Mr. Beebe Argusianinse, includes the genera Argusianus, 

 Polyplectron, Chalcuras, and Rheinordins ; in these the 

 moult begins with the third pair fi'om the centre and pro- 

 ceeds outwards and inwards, the last to fall being the outer 

 pair. Finally, the Peacocks form a fourth group, in which 

 the fifth pair fall first and the first last. 



The sequence can be best shown as follows, the numbers 

 referring to the pairs of feathers numbered from the centre 

 outwards : — 



PerdicinjE 1.2.3.4.5.6 



Phasianiuse 6.5.4.3.2.1 



Argusianinje ... 3.4.2.5.1.6 



Pavoninse 5.4.3.2.6.1 



The rest of the article on the Pheasants deals with the 

 plumage-sequence of Ithaginis, Tragopan, Lobiophasis, and 

 Avith a review of distinguishable forms of some of the other 

 genera, such as Lophophorus and Crossoptilon ; and in these 

 matters Mr. Beebe adopts a decidedly conservative policy, 

 only recognizing those subspecies which can be clearly dis- 

 criminated, and suggesting that in many cases anomalous 

 and puzzling forms can be explained by hybridization. 



Of the three other papers on the list, the first deals with 

 the development of the plumage and the changes in the 

 colour and shape of the bill and legs of the White Ibis 

 {Guara alba) from the time of hatching onwards, and is the 

 result of observations made on these birds in the aviaries 

 of the Zoological Park. It is illustrated by a colouied 

 plate. 



In another paper the growth of the rectrices in the Wood- 

 Duck is shown to start as early as the tenth day after 

 hatching, while none of the contour-feathers begin to 



SEK. X. VOL. II. 2 u 



