AVES. 
51 
whether a beginner or an aceomplished natui'alist, cannot fail to 
find these volumes indispensable to him. The great defect of 
the ‘ Birds of India ^ is that its author has unfortunately given 
way to the practice of excessively multiplying genera, a practice 
which seems (if only as a mere matter of convenience) deserving 
of the strongest reprobation. It is due to I3r. J erdon, however, 
to say that none of the genera adopted in this work are now 
invented by him. 
Pelzeln, a. von. Einige Worte fiber eine von Herrn Robert 
Swiuhoe eingesendete Sammlung von Vogeln aus China 
und Formosa. Verb. Zool.-Botan. Gesellsch. Wien, 1864, 
pp. 10, II. 
The author takes occasion to point out the great services 
which Mr. Swinhoe has rendered to Zoology. 
ScHOMBURGK, Robert H. Cursory Notes on some of the Bii’ds 
of Siam. . Ibis, 1864, pp. 246-268. 
A nominal list of the birds collected by the author was drawn 
up by Mr. Gould and published in the ^ Proceedings of the 
Zoological Society^ (1859, p. 151). These notes refer to forty 
species, a few of which were not included therein. Specimens 
of the subjects of them were sent to Dr. Sclater, who has added 
the scientific name where Sir Robert has not himself in- 
serted it. None of the species are new. The extraordinary 
abundance of Waders and Sea-birds met with on ascending the 
Menam river is especially noted. 
Shortt, John. Account of a Heronry and Breeding-place of 
other Water-birds in Southern India. Proc. Linn. Soc, 
viii. p. 94. 
The locality described is about fifty miles from Madras, and 
twelve from Chingleput. About eight species of the families 
Ciconiid(jE,Tantalid( 2 , Ardeid (2 and Pelecanidcs. were found breeding 
there, some of them in very large numbers. Some of them 
were not very accurately identified by the author {cf. Ibis, 1865, 
p. 221). 
Swinhoe, Robert. Amendments to the Catalogue of the Birds 
of China (P. Z. S. 1863, p. 259). Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, 
pp. 271-272. 
Eurinorhynchus pygmeeus was inserted by mistake for Limi- 
cola pygmma (i. e. Tringa platyrhyncha, Temm.) ; and Larus 
nivem, Pallas, is distinct from L. canm var. major , Middendorff, 
and is to be included, though doubtfully, in the list as a separate 
species, from Kamtschatka and the Northern Seas.^^ 
Swinhoe, Robert. Descriptions of four new species of For- 
E 2 
