Recent Literature. 
Ill 
appear to now occupy quite generally the forests suited to their habits 
within thirty to forty miles of . Taymouth, eastward and southward, but to 
be less evenly dispersed over a similar radius in other directions. 
Mr. Harvie-Brown treats the general subject of the Capercaillie in 
Scotland exhaustively. Beginning with such pre-historic evidence as is 
afforded by the bone-caves and kitchen-middens, he finds no indication of 
the existence of its remains in those of Scotland, among which latter 
birds’ bones of any kind are of rare occurrence. He then presents its 
history prior to extinction, followed by that of its restoration, and a de- 
tailed account of its increase and extension, illustrated by a map. He 
later discusses the influences which govern its increase, its relation to 
the decrease of Black Game, its damage to forests and grain, etc. Of 
special interest also are his chapters on the derivation, significance, and 
proper orthography of the word Capercaillie. In short, every point of the 
subject is elaborated with the utmost thoroughness, the work forming a 
model of its class. — J. A. A. 
Sennett’s further Notes on the Birds of the Lower Rio 
Grande of Texas * — The report of Mr. Sennett’s three months’ work 
(in April, May, and June) in 1878, near Hidalgo, Texas, adds greatly to 
our knowledge of the life-histories of many species of which we previously 
knew very little. The species new to our fauna, detected by Mr. Sennett 
on his second visit to this region, were first announced in July, 1878 (see 
“The Country” of July 13, 1878, p. 184), and observations relating to the 
nesting of some of the species appeared nearly a year since in “ Science 
News” (of. this Bulletin, Yol. Y, p. 45) ; but these earlier preliminary 
notices detract little from the interest of the present paper, every page of 
which adds valuable information to our knowledge of the birds of this 
recently almost ornithologically unknown region. In addition to the notes 
on the habits of the birds observed, which in the case of the less known 
species amount in some instances to full biographies, the author presents 
us with extended tables of measurements, gives detailed descriptions of 
nests and eggs, and occasionally discusses points of relationship and 
nomenclature. Dr. Coues adds the full synonymy and descriptions of the 
species newly added by Mr. Sennett to our fauna (for a list of these 
additions, see anted, pp. 89, 90, passim), with critical remarks and biblio- 
graphical references to a few others. The “ Notes ” relate to 168 species, 
and altogether form one of the most valuable of the many recent contribu- 
tions to local ornithology. — J. A. A. 
* Further Notes on the Ornithology of the Lower Eio Grande of Texas, from 
Observations made during the Spring of 1878. By George B. Sennett. Edited, 
with Annotations, by Dr. Elliott Coues, U. S. A. Bull. U. S. Geol. and Geogr. 
Survey of the Territories, Yol. Y, No. 3, pp. 371-440, November 30, 1879. 
