Recently published Ornithological Works. 483 
bourhood of Port Moresby, New Guinea.” Ninox novce- 
britannice, sp. n., from New Britain, probably =N. odiosa, 
Scl. P. Z. S. 1877, p. 108. Myzomela coccinea and M. ery- 
thina are two new species, tbe former from Duke-of-York 
Island, the latter from New Ireland. 
(5) “ Description of some rare Eggs of Australian Birds, and 
a Note on the Eggs of certain Species of MegapodiusP The 
eggs of the following species are described :—JElurcedus 
smithi, Hylacola pyrrhopygia, Elanus axillaris , Pardalotus 
rubricatus and P. uropygialis , Entomophila rufigularis , and 
Poephila atropygialis , Diggles. The egg of Megapodius 
cuvieri is also described, and its measurements compared with 
those of several other species. 
60. Wharton's ‘List of British Birds.’ 
[A List of British Birds, the Genera arranged according to Simdevall’s 
Method. The Nomenclature revised by Henry Thornton Wharton, M.A., 
M.R.C.S., F.Z.S. 12mo, pp. 20. London : 1877, J. Van Voorst.] 
A useful list of British birds, in a handy form, which can 
be either used as a check-list, or cut up for labels. In the 
introduction are remarks on the uses of this list, on the 
limits of the British avifauna, on nomenclature, and on classi¬ 
fication. Under the head of nomenclature the rules of the 
British Association are given, but without the comments on 
them originally printed. The classification adopted is that 
of the late Prof. Sundevall. Though we are by no means 
sorry to see the stereotyped arrangement of British lists broken 
through, we do not think that SundevalPs system can be ac¬ 
cepted in its entirety, as, owing to the admission of external 
characters alone into his classification, incongruities occur in 
it (such as the Hoopoe being placed in the Oscines next to 
the Larks) which have little chance of ultimate acceptance. 
Without in any way detracting from the value of the f Methodi 
naturalis Avium disponendarum Tentamen,’ we are of opinion 
that the arrangement there adopted has not been so widely 
accepted as Mr. Wharton supposes. Classification has never 
been a very strong point with ornithologists who confine 
themselves to the study of British birds. Placed side bv side 
2 l 2 
