Recent Literatui'e. 
n 3 
at first glance see it was something else. The last plate (33) represents 
the nest of the Summer Tanager, furnishing a good illustration of a “sad- 
dled” nest — by which we mean one placed directly upon a large horizontal 
bough, only confined by a few slight upright twigs. The text consists, as 
usually heretofore, of a folio to each plate, and continues to be prepared 
by Dr. Howard E. Jones. We find it to be a perfectly reliable account of 
the objects represented. The authors evidently have spared no pains or 
expense in maintaining the high standard of excellence they set for them- 
selves at the beginning. — E. C. 
Prof. Macoun’s Report of Exploration.* — We hear so seldom 
from our friends of the Dominion, as far as ornithology is concerned, that 
the present contribution would be welcome as an index of their activity, 
even were it of less importance than we find it to be. It is difficult to cite 
the brochure correctly, as it has no title-page and bears no date or place 
of publication, and may be an “extra” of a portion of some more exten- 
sive government publication. However this may be, the pamphlet which 
reaches us through Professor Macoun’s kind attentions is the report of the 
Surveyor General to the Minister of the Interior, consisting chiefly (pp. 
8-40) of Professor Macoun’s own report of his explorations during the 
summer of 1880 of that portion of the Souris River Valley lying within 
British Territory and of the adjoining region to the west and north — that 
is to say, north of our territories of Dakota and Montana. The region is 
one seldom examined even incidentally in the interests of ornithology, 
and the present paper possesses decided value, as the observer appeared 
to have paid special attention to the distribution of birds in the wide area 
traversed. After a rdsume of the leading ornithological features of the 
region is presented an annotated list of the species secured, 109 in number. 
This list may be profitably examined in connection with the article on the 
birds observed along the parallel of 49 0 by the Northern Boundary Com- 
mission in 1873 and 1874. We feel at liberty to call attention to some 
manuscript alterations made by the author in our copy. For Coturniculus 
passerinus read Zonotvickia albicollis; for Myiarchus crinitus , re &<3 7 yran- 
nus verticalis; for Archibuteo lagopus, read A. ferrugineus , the range of 
which is thus carried beyond any point hitherto given; for Tringa canu- 
tus read T. bairdi; for Podilymbus podiceps, read Podiceps calif ornicus. 
We could wish the report were better printed ; but poor presswork is the 
usual fate of public documents, English or American. — E. C. 
Knowlton’s Revised List of the Birds of Brandon, Vermont. f — 
This is a briefly annotated list of 149 species occurring in the immediate 
* Extract from a Report of Exploration by Professor John Macoun, M. A., F. L. S. 
Report of Department of Interior (n. d., n. p. Ottawa, 1881? 8vo, pp. 48.) 
f A Revised List of the Birds of Brandon, Vt. and vicinity. By F. H. Knowlton. The 
Brandon Union (newspaper), February 10, 1882. See also, by the same author: — A 
Partial List of the Birds of Brandon, Vt. The Brandon Union, December 13, 1878. 
'Remarks on some Western Vermont Birds. Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club, Vol. VII, 
January, 1882, pp. 63, 64. 
