iS93. SOME NEW BOOKS. 469 



Birds and Water-fowl from his pen, and now we have the smaller 

 work before us. In his preface, the author tells us that the idea of 

 the work occurred to him about a dozen years ago, since which date 

 he has been assiduously collecting material, and, accordingly, with 

 the numerous other works on the subject for his guidance, it ought to 

 be as near perfect as possible. It miight be thought that by this time 

 the subject of British birds was well-nigh exhausted, but as Mr. 

 Dixon's work treats solely of those species nesting in the British 

 Islands, and is mainly confined to their nesting habits, it will doubt- 

 less fill a void and command a ready sale, more especially as the 

 larger works of Morris and Seebohm, treating more or less specially 

 of eggs and nests, are too expensive for many purses. Like all Mr. 

 Dixon's productions, the work before us is well and pleasantly written, 

 and the amateur naturalist, as well as every young person interested 

 in this fascinating study, cannot do better than forthwith provide him- 

 or herself with a copy. 



Of course we miss illustrations, but as figures of eggs are not of 

 much use unless coloured, the cost of plates would have made the 

 book so expensive as to have defeated one of the objects of its pro- 

 duction, and the student must accordingly do the best he can without 

 their aid. In regard to classification, the author may be ranged 

 among the " lumpers," seeing that he puts all the non-diving ducks 

 in the genus Anas, and employs the genera Chavadvius, Totanns, 

 Scolopax, etc., in a wide sense. Considering, however, that there is 

 but an interval of some two months between the date of publication 

 of the present work and the one on Game-Birds, it seems rather a pity 

 that he could not have definitely made up his mind what names he 

 was going to employ, as it is rather puzzling to the beginner to find 

 the Dotterel alluded to in one work as Chavadrius niorinelltis, and in 

 the other as Eiidvomias morinelliis. Moreover, a little more attention 

 to the index at the end of the volume would have been desirable, 

 seeing that the word " snipe " is omitted therefrom. The mention of 

 snipe reminds us that we consider Mr. Dixon to be wrong in persis- 

 tently stating that the common species is not gregarious, although we 

 are fully aware that the individuals do not mass together after 

 the manner of ruffs and plovers. No one who has shot in a 

 Bengal "jhil," with snipe rising as thick as flies all round him, 

 can ever possibly think of these birds as being anything else but 

 gregarious. 



All these points are, however, but trifling blemishes in a volume 

 which leaves nothing to desire in the way of " get-up," and fully 

 deserves all the success we can wish it. R. L. 



The Geology and Pal.^ontology of Queensland and New Guinea, with 68 

 plates and a geological map of Queensland. By Robert L. Jack, F.G.S., 

 F.R.G.S., Government Geologist for Queensland, and Robert Etheridge, Junior, 

 Government Palaeontologist (New South Wales). 4to, Pp. xxx. and 768. 

 Brisbane: James Charles Beal. London : Dulau & Co., 1892. Price £2 2s. 



In Europe we scarcely realise how much good scientific work is being 

 done in our Australian colonies. Geology in particular is well 

 studied, for the prosperity of these colonies is so largely dependent 

 on their mineral resources, and it is so essential in an arid region to 

 understand where water can be obtained by artesian borings, that 

 considerable sums are willingly devoted to the making of careful 



