74 
ZOOLOGICAL LlTERATUllE. 
are given in German^ these having been already published in 
Dutch (N. T. D. pp. 320-324), as noticed by us last year 
(Zool. Record, i. pp. 75, 86, and 87 ) ; but two other species, hyco- 
corax morotensis and L. obiensis, are described for the first time. 
Finsch, Otto. Neu-Guinea und seine Bewohner. Bremen: 
1865, 8vo, pp. 186. 
In the body of the volume the more prominent features of the 
avifauna of the country are pointed out (pp. 19-30), and in an 
appendix (pp. 154-185) a list of the birds hitherto observed in 
it and neighbouring localities, fromNorth Australia (to lat. 30° S.) 
to Timor, is given. The total number of species enumerated is 
920, of which 252 are known from New Guinea, 246 from North 
Australia, 129 from the Aru and 26 from the Ke Islands, 94 from 
Ceram, 95 from Mysol, 92 from Waigiou, 49 from Salwatty, 83 
from Ternate, 129 from Halmaheira, 124 from Bat chi an, 75 fr’om 
Amboyna, 157from Celebes, and 147 from Timor. The new species 
made known since 1858, when Mr. Wallace's discoveries drew 
attention afresh to this part of the world, are separately distin- 
guished, and are no less than 178 in number, most of them being 
due to that traveller. Full of information as this volume is 
beyond any other on the subject, it only serves to show how 
little really is known of the animal productions of the wonder- 
ful island of which it treats. 
Gould, John. Handbook to the Birds of Australia. London : 
1865. Royal 8vo, vol. i. pp. 636, vol. ii. pp. 629. 
In its effects this will most likely prove to be the most im- 
portant work on ornithology published during the past year, 
and, if we except Dr. Jerdon^s Birds of India,^ it might even 
be safely said the most important published for several years, as 
it is almost impossible to overrate the stimulus which this 
Handbook ^ will be to the progress of science in Australia. 
Six hundred and seventy species are enumerated as forming 
the avifauna of the Australian continent, Tasmania, and 
those islands of the Great Barrier Reef which properly belong 
to Australia,"’^ to which limits the author confines his labours, 
though two dozen species from New Guinea, New Zealand, 
Norfolk, Lord Howe^s, and other Islands, which were figured in 
his ^ Birds of Australia/ are noticed in the Appendix. Very 
considerable care has been bestowed in amending the nomen- 
clature and in working up the synonymy of the birds included, 
and this feature in the undertaking is one that can be dwelt 
upon with the greatest pleasure, for the execution of other parts 
of it is not equal to this. Diagnoses, whether generic or 
specific, are in almost every case wanting, and the descriptions 
are often so vague as very imperfectly to supply their absence. 
Nine new genera are proposed by the author, and names given 
