Recent Ornithological Publications. 221 
Ornithology/ containing a selection of fifty lithographs repre¬ 
senting chiefiy unfigured birds of Southern India. Besides these 
more important undertakings. Dr. Jerdon has written many 
articles on the various points bearing upon the ornithology of 
India in the scientific journals of that country, and has on more 
than one occasion shown the interest he takes in ‘ The Ibis/ 
by sending communications to these pages. Above all, Dr. 
Jerdon has the very great advantage of being able to speak of a 
very large proportion of the species of birds included in his 
present work from personal observation. During his quarter of 
a century's uninterrupted residence in India, he has diligently 
examined the fauna of the various districts to which his official 
duties have called him, and, with the exception of the North¬ 
western Provinces, Punjaub and Sindh, has traversed again and 
again the length and breadth of continental India. Mr. Blyth, 
well known as the greatest living authority upon Indian ornitho¬ 
logy, has assisted Dr. Jerdon in the progress of the present work 
through the press, and, as we are informed in our author's pre¬ 
face (where a full and handsome acknowledgment of Mr. 
Blvth's great services to the cause of Indian natural history is 
given), “has added much valuable information from his own 
knowledge and experience." It is with great satisfaction also 
we learn that the Indian Government, who, we believe, up to the 
present time have done little in any way to aid the progress of 
science in India, have to some extent assisted the present under¬ 
taking. The late viceroy, Earl Canning, placed the author on 
special duty, with the view of giving him leisure to prosecute 
his researches in any quarter, and to devote himself to the pro¬ 
gress of his book through the press; and the present viceroy, 
to whom the work is dedicated, has followed the worthy example 
set him by his predecessor. 
We shall not now say more respecting this remarkable work, 
which, we believe, signalizes the opening of a new era of pro¬ 
gress in the hitherto comparatively neglected field of natural 
history in our country's foreign possessions, but, in compliance 
with the author's invitation for assistance, we shall endeavour, 
on the final completion of the work, to give some sort of com¬ 
mentary upon it. Dr. Jerdon will believe us when we say that 
