206 Recently published Ornithological Works. 
on Feb. 8 th, 1898, with a collection of 3075 birds—not to 
speak of tortoises and other specimens. After a short 
general introduction, the diaries and field-notes of Mr. Harris 
and Mr. F. P. Drowne are printed at full length. They are 
well worthy of perusal. 
In the general remarks on the fauna of the Galapagos, 
which follow, the authors show more clearly than ever that 
the bird-life is entirely of American origin, without any sort 
of admixture. As regards the somewhat far-fetched theories 
of Dr. Baur, they prefer to leave the questions as to the 
supposed former connection of the islands with each other 
and with the continent as “ uncertain ” : we may say de¬ 
cidedly “ not proven.” 
In the review of the 108 species of birds now known to 
compose the avifauna of the Galapagos, which concludes the 
memoir, the authors have had the use of the Baur Collection 
of 1100 skins, as well as of that made by Mr. Harris. They 
acknowledge the assistance received from Mr. Ridgway’s 
excellent essay on the f Birds of the Galapagos Archipelago/ 
but do not agree to all his conclusions. Most of the new 
species and subspecies based on Mr. Harris’s collection have 
been already characterized in the f Bulletin of the B. O. C./ 
but the following are now added :-~Certhidea olivacea ridg- 
wayi, Geospiza scandens septentrionalis, Nesopelia gala - 
pagoensis escsul, and Creciscus sliarpei. The most notable 
discoveries made by Mr. Harris seem to be the Short-winged 
Cormorant, Phalacrocorax harrisi, and the abundance of 
Xema furcata in the Galapagos, whence it has been known to 
wander to the coast of Peru; it has also been obtained on 
the volcanic island of Malpelo, in about lat. 4° N. [cf. Ibis, 
1896, p.286]. 
16. Helms on some Birds from Greenland. 
[Ornithologiske Meddelelser fra Gronland. Af 0. Helms. Vid. 
Meddel. fra d. naturh. Foren. i Kblivn. 1899, p. 231.] 
Herr Helms, who has already contributed much to our 
knowledge of the birds of Greenland ( v . Vid, Meddel. 1892, 
