EDITORIAL GLEANINGS: 79 



At the meeting of the Zoological Society, held on Jan. 20th last, 

 Mr. F. E. Beddard read a communication dealing with the surface 

 anatomy of the cerebral convolutions in Nnsalis, Colobus, and Cynopi- 

 thecus. The wide differences which the brain of Cyhopithecus shows from 

 that of the Baboons and its many points of resemblance to the brain 

 of SemnopitJiecus were pointed out. Colobus was shown to closely 

 resemble Macacus in the structure of its brain. Three brains of Nasalis 

 were reported on, two of which the author owed to the kindness of 

 Dr. Charles Hose, of Borneo. It was stated to be practically impos- 

 sible to distinguish the brain of this genus from that of Semnopithecus. 



Mr. J. A. Allen contributes a most interesting article to the last 

 issue of 'The Auk' on the subject of the A. 0. U. Check-list; its 

 history and its future. It appears that the new and ever-increasing 

 workers at ornithology expend a large amonnt of energy on biblio- 

 graphical studies and consequent changes in nomenclature. This will 

 probably increase in future, and applies to Europe as much as to 

 America, and is not confined to ornithology. " The danger of exces- 

 sive splitting is greater now than ever before, since we have reached a 

 point where comparatively few strongly marked local forms remain to 

 be discovered and named, while the number of enthusiastic young 

 workers is steadily increasing. Plainly, not every degree of differ- 

 entiation that can be recognized by the trained expert needs recognition 

 by name, and not every slightly differentiated form that can be dis- 

 tinguished readily on comparison of a large series of specimens should 

 be considered as entitled to a place in a list of North American birds." 



The following interesting communication is to be found in ' The 

 Condor ' in its last issue, commencing vol. v. : — 



11 Do Wild Birds die instantly? — Mr. Wm. Earl Dodge Scott, in an 

 article on birds in ' The Outlook ' of July 5th, 1902, has made a state- 

 ment that is somewhat remarkable in that it shows how differently 

 Nature reveals herself to different observers, and especially remarkable 

 because so emphatically backed up by his reference to hunters and 

 others whose occupations teach them to observe. He states that not 

 only do birds die instantly — which term must be here used in a com- 

 parative sense, and is a little strong — when injured or afflicted with 

 illness, but also that in all his experience he has never come across a 

 sick bird or animal in a wild state, nor met with anyone else who has 

 done so. My attention was attracted by this statement, because, 



