Recent Ornithological Publications . 207 
subscribe at all to the rank assigned to some of the species. 
Why the Kestrel and Sparrow-Hawk should be placed in the 
second class as regards beauty of form and colour while the 
three common English Owls are advanced to the first* or* again* 
why the song of the Hedge-Sparrow should obtain a “ C ” mark 
while the Redstart comes in for a u B,” are matters that pass 
our comprehension. On the whole, however* our author does 
not seem to be a very severe examiner, and we do not perceive 
that any birds ar# absolutely “ plucked” by him. The most 
important part of the essay, in a scientific light* consists of the 
particulars given of the food and geographical distribution of 
birds outside the British islands ; but here there is much room 
for improvement. For instance* we imagine that the berries 
and caterpillars of Iceland do not contribute much to the diet 
of the Fieldfare in August, simply because the bird does not 
frequent that island at any time of the year; and again there 
is certainly no good reason to suppose (cf. Ibis, 1859* p. 421) 
that the Shore-Lark is common in Algeria. Blemishes like these* 
together with a more than ordinary crop of typographical errors* 
may be remedied, however* in a second edition* which we hope 
the author will have the opportunity of producing. 
We have been in some doubt whether a recent paper by Mr. 
Swinhoe did not require to be entered under a distinct heading; 
but it seemed* on consideration, that the announcement of a 
“ Chinese” publication might have the effect of repelling the 
attention of our readers* and therefore that it would be more 
expedient to class the paper on the Birds and Beasts of For¬ 
mosa** which that gentleman has recently translated for the 
Asiatic Society of Shanghai* as an English work. If we are 
not mistaken* this is the first instance of a Chinese treatise on 
ornithology being rendered available to the English public* and 
on that account alone it merits special notice in these pages. 
It consists* it is true* of little more than a bare catalogue of 
* Neau-Shoiv. Birds and Beasts (of Formosa) from the 18th chapter 
of the Tai-wan foo-che (Statistics of Taiwan). Translated by Robert 
Swinhoe, Esq., H.B.M. Consul at Taiwan: with critical notes and obser¬ 
vations. Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Shanghai, 1865, pp. 39-52. 
