3 [Vol. xxi. 



much to be hoped that an arrangement may be made for the 

 publication of a work Imsed on these materials. 



One of the most important ornithological svorks that have 

 recently made their appearance I consider to be Dr. Edward 

 Wilson's account of the birds of the National Antarctic 

 Expedition. Dr. Wilson is not only a capital describer of the 

 ways and habits of the birds, but is also a talented artist, and 

 the work in question is remarkable not only for its stories of 

 bird-life, but also for its wealth of illustrations, mostly derived 

 from Dr. Wilson's facile pencil. No collection of birds had 

 been previously made at such a high latitude in the Southern 

 Hemisphere, and it is most fortunate that it should have 

 been dealt with by the competent observer who had the 

 chief share in forming it. 



We must not forget, however, that, besides the National 

 Antarctic Expedition, the sister Scottish Expedition likewise 

 made an excellent collection of birds during its stay in the 

 South Polar Seas, and that, by the kind permission of 

 Dr. Bruce, Mr. Eagle Clarke has been allowed to publish 

 his account of them in the pages of ' The Ibis.' From the 

 results achieved by these two expeditions our knowledge of 

 the Antarctic Ornis has been greatly extended, and Lieut. 

 Shackleton's new expedition to the South Polar Lands, which 

 is to leave New Zealand in the early months of next year, 

 will be accompanied by two competent Biologists, and is 

 likely to bring us still further information on this engrossing 

 subject. 



Another important publication for Ornithologists is the 

 volume on the History of the Natural History Collections 

 in the British Museum, lately issued by the Trustees. 

 Dr. Bowdler Sharpe has spared neither time nor trouble in 

 making the account of the series of Birds under his charge 

 as complete as possible, and has put together a mass of 

 valuable information upon the mode of acquisition of its com- 

 ponent portions. What is, Avithout doubt, the largest and 

 most complete collection of Birds in the world well deserves 

 to have its historv fully written, and to no one could this 



