ALBERT

Description: The results of a complete census of the breeding population of the White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) in the Netherlands, carried out in the year 1950 by the State Forestry Service, have been published by M\xc3\x96RZER BRUIJNS and BRAAKSMA in Beaufortia 5, Nr. 45, April 15, 1955, p. 23\xe2\x80\x9442.\nA new census was performed during the year 1955 ; it is the intention to repeat the census from now on every year.\nThe results of the last census are even more alarming than those from 1950 (see table, p. 113). The number of occupied nests decreased from 83 nests in 1950 to 58 nests in 1955. The number of fledged young decreased from 195 in 1950 to 96 in 1955. Many nests, still occupied in 1950, were either in a state that they could no longer be used or they had vanished altogether in 1955. On the other hand some new nests have been erected in recent time, some of them yielding good breeding results. The data have been arranged in tables according to the provinces. Every nest is numbered. The numbers of the 1950 census are given in parentheses. Nests marked + means that the nest was occupied by a pair of birds, but that no young were fledged. Nests marked \xe2\x80\x94 means that the nest was not inhabited, or that it was visited irregularly or else occupied by one solitary bird. The number of young fledged is marked by a figure. A gale in the spring of 1955 destroyed 4 nests ; 12 eggs got lost.\nFighting was reported frequently, the unfortunate result being that 3 young storks and at least 37 eggs got lost. These figures probably indicate that at present an insufficient number of nesting sites is avaible in the Netherlands. Therefore it seems worth while to try to erect new nests in localities where fighting has been frequently reported, and to repair those nests that have been visited, but remained unoccupied, owing to the poor state of the nest. In this connection Mr. W. DRIESSEN got most remarkable results with a newly erected nest, made according to a special method. This method should be used for the nests which we hope can be erected or repaired before the new breeding season. Surely the alarming decrease of the White Stork in the Netherlands is not primarily caused by housing problems, but a more appropriate condition and a greater number of nesting sites probably helps to prevent the yearly destruction of perhaps ten or twenty eggs or chicks.\nPhotomechanical reproduction

Description: Anticipating a revision of the genera and subgenera of the tribe Anthophorini, a number of south-east Asiatic species previously included in Anthophora Latreille, are transferred by the author to Amegilla Friese. The types were studied of Anthophora villosula F. Smith, and of 19 valid and 3 invalid species of Amegilla (i.e., of all species discussed, except that of himalajensis Radoszkowski), and a key to their identification is included. The following new species are described: A. proboscidea, \xe2\x99\x80 (Simalur I.), sumatrana, \xe2\x99\x82\xe2\x99\x80 (Sumatra), pagdeni, \xe2\x99\x82 \xe2\x99\x80 (Malaya), and leptocoma, \xe2\x99\x82 \xe2\x99\x80 (Siam & Malaya). Re-descriptions of both sexes and figures are given of A. insularis (F. Smith), himalajensis (Radoszkowski), florea (F. Smith), and urens (Cockerell). Apart from the specific descriptions, notes and records are provided concerning geographical distribution, new localities, and the identity of plants visited. The following cases of synonymy are established : A. fulvohirta Meade-Waldo, 1914 (= insularis F. Smith, 1858) A. proserpina Gribodo, 1893 (= himalajensis Radoszkowski, 1882) A. pahangensis Meade-Waldo, 1914 (= himalajensis Radoszkowski, 1882) A. pahangensis Cockerell, 1927 (= pendleburyi Cockerell, 1929) A. anthreptes Lieftinck, 1944 (= pendleburyi Cockerell, 1929) Anthophora villosula auct, nec F. Smith, 1854 (= Amegilla spec. diff.) Anthophora soror J. P\xc3\xa9rez, 1905 (= Anthophora villosula F. Smith, 1854) Anthophora pingshiangensis Strand, 1913 (= Anthophora villosula F. Smith, 1854)

Description: Une \xc3\xa9valuation des plantes d\xe2\x80\x99apr\xc3\xa8s leur pouvoir \xc3\xa9dificateur de dunes doit \xc3\xaatre pr\xc3\xa9c\xc3\xa9d\xc3\xa9e d\xe2\x80\x99une description de leur structure a c\xc3\xb4t\xc3\xa9 de l\xe2\x80\x99\xc3\xa9tendue et de la densit\xc3\xa9 des organes a\xc3\xa9riens il faut consid\xc3\xa9rer d\xe2\x80\x99importance capitale et d\xc3\xa9cisive la structure des organes souterrains, tel que K\xc3\x9cHNHOLTZLORDAT (1923) et VAN DIEREN (1934) l\xe2\x80\x99ont sugger\xc3\xa9.\nLes organes souterrains peuvent \xc3\xaatre: des rhizomes, des racines, ou des tiges ensevelies par le sable meuble. Une comparaison des diff\xc3\xa9rentes qualit\xc3\xa9s m\xc3\xa8ne \xc3\xa0 la distinction de groupements et \xc3\xa0 la cr\xc3\xa9ation d\xe2\x80\x99un syst\xc3\xa8me.

Description: He in het vooruitzicht gestelde literatuur-rubriek zal in het volgende nummer worden geopend.

Description: Mr Smitinand, Officer-in-Charge, Section of Botany, Forest Products Research Division, Royal Forest-Department, Bangkok, Thailand, writes, that there is still a large tract of virgin tropical rain-forest in the Peninsula not yet properly explored. An expedition from any foreign country is heartily welcome with cordial co-operation.

Description: Blatter, E. & W.S. Milliard. Some beautiful Indian trees. 2nd edition revised by W.T. Steam. Publ. by Bombay Natural History Society, Bombay, India. March 3, 1955. 8\xc2\xb0. i-xv, 1-165 pp., 43 photogr., 31 coloured plates, and text-figures; clothbound. Sh. 30/- net.\nA simple, illustrated guide to some of the most beautiful flowering trees to be seen in India and Pakistan. It should be of use and interest throughout the tropics as most of the plants treated are grown as ornamentals outside their native country. Thirty nine species have been fully described with accurate synonymy, and notes on distribution, gardening, uses, economic value, vernaculars, domestic uses, medicinal properties, ethnobotany, and ecology of leafshedding, flowering and fruiting seasons. In some cases also closely related species are briefly indicated or described. In appendices descriptions are given of families represented, further a key to the genera, a glossary of some botanic terms, and a bibliography to some sources of further information. An index concludes this very attractive, nicely executed, and relatively very cheap book which is a valuable educative tool to laymen and those interested in gardening in the tropics. It contains much concise adequate information on the plants treated. In a way it is a counterpart to Bor & Raizada\xe2\x80\x99s Some beautiful Indian climbers and shrubs, published by the same Society.

Description: Barrett, C.: Wild life of Australia and New Guinea. 229 pp., ill., 1955. Describes in a fascinating and not too technical manner the life stories of animals of Australia, New Zealand and New Guinea.\nBor, N.L.: Manual of Indian forest botany. 441 pp. A systematically planned treatise with keys to the genera and species to be found in India and Burma, with descriptions of their economic uses.

Description: Bryophyta. The new collections built up during the last years under the supervision of Prof. R. van der Wijk, Groningen, have now all been arranged and provisionally been identified by him and his collaborator Mr Margadant. Revisional work has started.\nPteridophyta. A most important collaboration, anticipated for years, is that of doctors Holttum, Kew, and Alston, London, who have now definitely agreed in compiling the series II of the Flora Malesiana containing the account of the Pteridophyta. Dr Alston spent a year (Oct. 1955-Oct. 1954) in Indonesia on the invitation of the Indonesian Government. Dr Holttum has finished his large work on the ferns of Malaya; he is now finishing off an account of the bamboos of Malaya and will then set definitely to the study of Malaysian Pteridophytes. Some limited families will be worked out by both specialists as a sample.

Description: Nova Guinea. This serial is continued in a handy octavo format, onwards of new series vol. 6 (1955). It embodies contributions on botany, zoology, geology and ethnography. A new redaction committee is formed of four members for these different branches, general editor is Prof. H.J. Lam, Rijksherbarium, Leyden, secretary of the redaction is Dr M.A. Lieftinck, Mus. Nat. Hist., Leyden.\nSymposium on land connections across the South Atlantic with special reference to the Mesozoic of the South Atlantic Basin; of. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 99 (1952).

Description: In continuation of my first revisional paper on the subfamily Olethreutinae dealing with the Lobesia complex (1954) I now present a revision of the genus Bactra Stephens. Chiefly the species from the Malayan region are treated, but also references to some species from other regions are made, as far as these species were available for study. I use this opportunity also to make some amendments to my paper on Meyrick types in the British Museum (1950). Material from New Guinea and of the Sumba Expedition 1948 will be treated in other papers.\nThe material that served for this revision comprises chiefly the collection of the Leiden Museum (indicated below with "L.M."). A small, but valuable addition form materials from museums in the United States. I am grateful to Dr. Mont A. Cazier, of the American Museum of Natural History (A.M.N.H.), New York, to Dr. J. F. Gates Clarke, of the United States National Museum (U.S.N.M.), Washington, D.C., and to Dr. John G.\nFranclemont, of the Entomological Department of Cornell University (Cornell Un. Coll.), Ithaca, New York, for their kind permission to select and to study these materials. Furthermore, Professor Dr. E. M. Hering kindly entrusted me with an important collection of Palaearctic Bactra species from the Zoologisches Museum der Humboldt Universit\xc3\xa4t, Berlin, Germany.\nI am very grateful for the permission to retain certain duplicates from the above mentioned collections for the Leiden Museum.\nThe genus Bactra Stephens, 1834, equals Lobesia Guen\xc3\xa9e in the difficulties it caused to its students. As easy as it is to recognize a species as a member of this genus, as difficult it was to identify the species. For a long time the classical authors regarded numerous species occurring throughout the world,