398 Recently published Ornithological Works. 
from ten to fifteen fern ales, repairs to some suitable breeding- 
place. As soon as they have fixed on a locality, the females 
separate, and each one proceeds to construct a nest in a thick 
tuft of grass. The cock meanwhile keeps a look-out from 
some point of vantage, and spends most of his time in 
driving off other cocks who attempt to trespass on the terri¬ 
tory occupied by his harem. He takes no part in the con¬ 
struction of any of the nests. Should he see a man or beast 
of prey approaching he flies round with a warning cry, upon 
which the hens leave their nests, creep under the grass for a 
short distance, then rise and fly off until danger is past.” 
Similar habits are related of TJrobrachya axillaris, Colio- 
passer albo-notatus, and other species of this group. 
We observe that Otocorys berlepschi is acknowledged as 
South African in the present volume, but we must confess to 
grave doubts whether the habitat assigned to this species, 
“ Caffraria,” can be correct. The nearest species to it geo¬ 
graphically is O. atlas of Morocco (Bull. B. O. C. vii. p. xlvii), 
and it is a “ far cry ” from Morocco to Caffraria ! 
Many good illustrations will be found in the text of this 
volume; those of the male Promerops “showing off” and 
of the nest of the Cape Penduline Tit ( Mgithalus capensis) 
are remarkable. It is to be hoped that the remaining 
volumes of the ‘ Birds of South Africa * will be completed in 
a similar style, but to find a second Stark will be no easy 
matter. 
66. Stone on a new Coccyzus. 
[A new Species of Coccyzus from St. Andrews. By Witmer Stone. 
Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Philad. 1899, p. 301.] 
St. Andrews Island, in the Caribbean Sea, was already 
known (see c Auk/ 1887, p. 177) to possess five peculiar 
species, out of the 19 of which specimens were obtained by 
one of Mr. Cory’s collectors. Mr. Stone now adds a sixth, 
Coccyzus abbotti , from a small collection made in the island 
in May 1887 by Dr. W. L. Abbott. 
