176 Recently published Ornithological Works. 
nest of the Anthoscopus is nicely figured. Some new eggs 
from the same collector are also described. Two eggs of 
Turacus chalcolophus were taken from a nest on an Acacia, 
built like that of a Wood-Pigeon and about twelve feet from 
the ground. They are of a dull white, without lustre. 
19. Martorelli on Variation in the Ring-Ousel. 
[Le Yariazioni della Merula torquata (Naum.). By Prof. Giacinto 
Martorelli. Atti Soc. Ital. Sci. Nat. xlviii. (1910), 27 pp., 1 pi. 
(separately printed).] 
The author does not consider that Merula alpestris and 
M. orientalis are valid species, while he has taken great 
trouble to examine into the question of the variations of 
the Ring-Ousel. He has watched the living birds, and has 
procured examples at all ages and in all states of plumage, 
chiefly from Italy. The variation, which appears to be 
considerable, is further shown by a plate depicting the 
separate feathers. 
20. Mathews on the Birds of Australia. 
[The Birds of Australia. By Gregory M. Mathews. With hand-coloured 
plates. Vol. i. pt. i. London: November, 1910. Witherby & Co.] 
We have now before us the first part of this new work on 
Australian Birds, which is the more welcome as that of 
Gould has been long out of date, and we shall now be able 
to form a clear opinion on the validity of any species or 
subspecies that has been described since his day, and to 
get a more comprehensive grasp of the avifauna of the 
Commonwealth than is possible when the literature was 
scattered. Mr. Mathews is himself a native of Australia, 
who has lived among the birds of the country, while he 
now resides near London, and therefore has ready access 
to British collections. He has himself a very extensive 
library of books dealing with his subject, to which he is 
constantly adding, and is thereby enabled to make a point 
of checking every reference, and also to state with certainty 
the locality whence the type-specimen of any form has 
