Recent Ornithological Publications. 201 
doubt, give in it full descriptions of these and other new species 
discovered in other branches of natural history, we must confess 
that we consider the diagnoses here given a little too meagre, 
and certainly rather calculated to deter one from describing any 
species at all resembling them than to lead to their identification. 
Some of his novelties, such as Geobmmon rufipennis , Coryphistera 
alaudina , Saltator multicolor , and the second species of Cariama, 
which Dr. Hartlaub has with such propriety named after its 
learned and enterprising discoverer, must certainly be recognized 
as most interesting additions to the class of birds. 
In the 5th number of the same Journal Dr. Cabanis has com¬ 
menced a detailed account of the series of birds lately received 
by the Berlin Museum from Costa Rica, through the exertions 
of three Prussian travellers—Dr. von Frantzius,Dr. Hoffman, and 
Dr. Ellendorf, of whom Dr. Hoffman has, unfortunately, lost his 
life in the country he was so energetically exploring. Of this 
communication, which contains much of interest, especially to 
those amongst us who have been working at the ornithology of 
Guatemala, we propose to give a more extended notice when the 
following portions are issued. 
When one of our good friends and colleagues published his 
Gallinula minors a “ new species” in the same Journal (p.341), 
he had surely forgotten all about ‘ The Ibis/ and the Gallinula 
pumila already described and figured in our first volume. We 
recommend him to write us a penitent letter asking pardon for 
his offence, and promising never to offend again in like manner ! 
Herr Badeker’s ‘Eier der Europaischen Vogel 9 has reached 
its sixth part, and continues to exhibit much the same merits and 
failings as those on which we have before remarked (‘Ibis/ i. v 
p. 400). Thus, though not a few of the eggs of each species 
are well represented, we seldom are told on whose authority 
we may rely for the genuineness of the specimens figured. 
The writer of the letter-press, while regarding the Barn-Owl 
of North America (Stria! pratincola ) as identical with that of 
Europe ( S . flammed), yet considers Lagopus montanus distinct 
from L. mutus ,—the difference between these latter being, we 
VOL. III. 
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