Recently published Ornithological Works. 389 
and a general sketch of the range, hut no statement of the 
exact mode of its occurrence in Egypt, except of the most 
general kind. Take, for example, the first species on the 
List —Sylvia nisoria. All we are told about its occurrence 
is : Elle traverse quelquefois PEgypte au printemps et 
a Fautomne.*' Nearly all the occurrences of the different 
birds are described in the same meagre and unsatisfactory 
manner. The Robin is said to be “ assez commun dans 
la Basse-Egypte.” We believe that it is a regular winter- 
visitor at Cairo, but always goes north in summer. 
46. Jourdain on European Birds’ Eggs. 
[The Eggs of European Birds. By Rev. Francis C. R. Jourdain. 
Part IV. London, 1910. 8vo, pp. 241-320, pis. 23, 27, 30-33, 35-38.] 
After treating of the Flycatchers, this part of Mr. Jourdain’s 
book takes us through a considerable portion of the Warbler 
group. The distribution and breeding-range are, as usual, 
carefully worked out, and an excellent account is given of 
the nesting-habits, the nest itself, and the eggs. So ex¬ 
cellent, indeed, are the descriptions that we can only recom¬ 
mend our readers to pay great attention to them all ; while, 
as we entirely agree with the author in nearly every parti¬ 
cular, we will conclude by mentioning a few instances where 
our experience does not coincide with his, or where fresh 
information has come to hand since his pages were written. 
The Chiffchaff is said to be a mere straggler in Scotland 
to the north of the Forth and Clyde, but it certainly nests in 
small numbers, at least in some years, in the Loch Maree 
district of Ross-shire. Moreover, the spots on the eggs of 
the subspecies found in Grand Canary seem to us reddish 
rather than brown. Brown, however, is a comparative word 
in the coloration of eggs, for we see it used again by 
Mr. Jourdain in regard to the Willow-Warbler’s egg, where 
the markings, to our mind, are red. In the woods of 
Northumbria the Wood-Warbler is certainly plentiful and 
made very conspicuous by its note, but we know of no dis¬ 
trict where it actually outnumbers the more inconspicuous 
Willow-Warbler, though such may be the case locally. Our 
experience also differs as to the fact of the hen bird being a 
