140 Correspondence. [isf"oct 



I had at various times communications from the Colonel, giving 

 information on obscure points connected with the life or classifica- 

 tion of our bush birds. 



The passing away of this distinguished ornithologist is a heavy 

 loss, not only to our island, but to Australia generally. 



H. STUART DOVE. 



West Devonport, Tasmania, 5/8/18. 



Reviews. 



["The Food of Australian Birds." New South Wales Department of 

 Agriculture Science Bulletin No. 15.] 



This very important bulletin contains the results of investiga- 

 tions of the stomach and crop contents of birds carried out in 

 New South Wales by Dr. J. B. Cleland, IVIr. J. H. Maiden, Mr. 

 W. W. Froggatt, Dr. E. W. Ferguson, and Mr. C. T. Musson. The 

 main portion of the work has been written by Dr. Cleland, and 

 consists of an introduction, " Broad Summary of Results," 

 " Detail Summaries and Verdicts on Individual Birds," " Food 

 of Birds from Botanical Aspect," and " List of Birds Feeding on 

 Particular Foods." Following this are three appendices. The 

 first of these consists of a tabulated summary of the contents of 

 stomachs and crops of each species of Australian bird examined, 

 whilst the two others give actual details of the contents found in 

 the stomachs and crops of all the individual birds. Altogether, 

 the contents of the stomach or crop of one or more individuals 

 of 220 species of native birds and 4 species of introduced birds 

 are tabulated. As Dr. Cleland truly remarks in the introduction, 

 " the appendices should prove of great value to future workers 

 in this interesting economic field, inasmuch as they form a basis 

 showing the food of individual birds, which can be added to from 

 time to time as further birds are examined." He adds : — 

 Obviously, before any individual species of birds can be rightly 

 assessed economically from the point of view of its food habits, 

 a large number of individuals, preferably several hundreds, must 

 be examined in detail." After this it must come as a surprise 

 to readers to find that the author proceeds to give a verdict on 

 almost ah species of birds, even when only a few stomachs have 

 been examined. For example, of the Dollar-Bird, of which four 

 stomachs were examined, he writes : — " This is evidently a very 

 useful species." Of the Laughing Kingfisher, of which three 

 stomachs have been examined : — " It is obviously a very useful 

 species." Whilst not denying the great value of the work accom- 

 plished, we think no judgments should have been pronounced 

 until at least 50 specimens of the species from different localities 

 and killed at different seasons had been examined. At present 

 more than 50 specimens have been examined in only three species 

 —the Silver-eye [Zosicrops cceriilesccns) and the introduced Sparrow 



