368 Bibliographical Notices. 



gardens, it must always be borne in mind that their attacks upon 

 our property are generally confined to some particular periods of the 

 year, whilst their instincts are constantly prompting them to the 

 destruction of other enemies of our crops, whose insidious attacks 

 can rarely be detected by the husbandman or gardener until after 

 the mischief is done ; so that in this way they far more than repay 

 us for any damage that they may do in their own proper persons. 

 In illustration of his remarks, Dr. Bennett tells us that the King- 

 fisher, known to the settlers by the not very complimentary name of 

 the "Laughing Jackass" (Dacelo gigantea), was "for many years a 

 doomed bird, merely from ignorance of its natural habits ; for, having 

 been seen occasionally to pounce upon and devour a chicken, in the 

 absence of its usual food of snakes, mice, &c, it was regarded as one 

 of the destroyers of the poultry-yard ; and from the general destruc- 

 tion of these birds, a corresponding increase of reptiles and vermin 

 of all kinds was found upon the farms." Subsequently the farmers 

 seem to have discovered their error, and the Laughing Jackass is 

 now unmolested. In a country which abounds in numerous snakes 

 (of which Mr. Bennett gives an account that might almost frighten 

 an intending emigrant) all reptilivorous birds should certainly be 

 protected ; and yet these, as being especially liable to temptation at 

 the sight of chickens when their natural food is not in the way, often 

 become peculiarly obnoxious to the farmer. But, as indicated by 

 Dr. Bennett, even the smaller Hawks will probably be found to do 

 more good in the exercise of their natural vocation than will suffice 

 to compensate for any depredations that they may commit upon our 

 domestic birds. Self-interest is most likely one great cause of the 

 difficulty with which these views are entertained by farmers. A 

 chicken carried off is an actual loss to the individual, but the destruc- 

 tion of vermin is a benefit to the community. 



Of the peculiar Mammals of Australia Dr. Bennett gives but few 

 notices. Almost the only reference to the Kangaroos is to be found 

 at page 5, where, after quoting the saying of Charles Lamb, that the 

 small fore feet of these animals seemed to be peculiarly adapted for 

 picking pockets, our author remarks that it should have been added 

 that they have pockets to be picked. "We have often amused our- 

 selves," he adds, " by throwing sugar or bread into the pouch of a 

 Kangaroo, and seen with what delight the animal has picked its own 

 pocket, and devoured the contents, — searching its bag, like a High- 

 lander his sporran, for more." The Echidna, the Long-tailed Flying 

 Opossum (Belideusjlaviventris), and the Flying Fox (Pteropus) come 

 in for rather a larger share of notice. Of the second, Dr. Bennett 

 had a living specimen, of which he gives an interesting account. It 

 is now in the Collection of the Zoological Society. Our author 

 also describes a few of the marine Mammals inhabiting the shores 

 of New South Wales, especially the Sperm Whale and the Dugong, 

 the latter of which, he tells us, furnishes an oil possessing the medi- 

 cinal properties of cod-liver oil, in place of which it has been pre- 

 scribed by some Australian physicians. 



A more important service than even the detection of a new species 



