5 [Vol. xxvii. 



A fourth publication of this year which I should uot fail 

 to mention is Mr. Pycraft's ' History of Birds/ which, 

 I am sure, will meet with most careful attention from all 

 Members of the B. 0. U. No one of us, I believe, knows the 

 structure of birds (both inside and outside) more thoroughly 

 than our friend Mr. Pycraft. His new Avork contains the 

 results of many years of careful study, and contains a mass 

 of information upon every part of bis subject. 



I must not fail to mention here the recent issue of the 

 sixth part of Dr. Hartert's ' Vogel der palaarktischen 

 Fauna,' which completes the first volume of that important 

 work. It describes not less than 240 distinguishable forms 

 of the Palgearctic Ornis. Though not alwaj^s able to agree 

 with the author in his mode of treatment^ we must all 

 admire the unceasing energy and skill with which he has 

 collected his information on the subject and placed it at our 

 disposal. 



In conclusion^ I will call attention to a remarkable 

 discovery Avhich has lately been made in the distribution 

 of European birds — namely, that the Island of Corsica 

 appears to have been separated from the mainland of Europe 

 for a sufficiently long period of time to cause a modification 

 of some of the native birds. We all know that Corsica pro- 

 duces a very distinct form of Nuthatch {Sitta ivhiteheadi) . 

 But recent researches * (if confirmed) show that at least 

 twelve other Corsican species have acquired a sufficient 

 amount of difference to warrant their distinction as sub- 

 sj)ecies. 



Mr. Ogilvie-Grant said that he had much satisfaction in 

 informing the Members of the Club that H.M. Government 

 had been pleased to grant a sum of £4000 towards the 

 expenses of the B. O. U. Expedition to the Snow Mountains 

 in Dutch New Guinea. (This announcement was received 

 with much applause.) He went on to say that the Expe- 

 dition had now reached a camp on the Waitakwa River, 



* Onutli. Monatsb. 1910, p. 133. 



