Vol. ^xviii.-j A Valuable Gift to the R. A. O.U. 235 



(the sheep tick) ; it has, however, not yet been shown that these 

 words are from the same roots. Mel, honey ; melo, an apple ; or 

 possibly some other root may be concerned. This and many 

 similar disputed names await settlement by the International Com- 

 mission. Mr. Mathews has since discarded Tyto. 



Vol. vi. is devoted to Cockatoos and Parrots, which make up 

 the typical Australian order of birds. A full account of the 

 literature of the group is given. In a long discussion Mr. Mathews 

 shows that the name Cacatua should be replaced by Cacatoes as 

 the name for the White Cockatoo. He suggests a new family, 

 PezoporidcB, to contain the Ground-Parrot, the already extinct 

 Night-Parrot, and the Warbling Grass-Parrot — the common 

 Budgerigar of the bird-trappers. He regards the Ground and 

 Night Parrots as the most primitive forms, and the Brush-tongued 

 Lorikeets (family Trichoglossidce) as the most highly developed 

 of the Parrot order. 



With regard to sub-species, made in hundreds by Mr. Mathews, 

 some ornithologists object to the fine distinctions employed. 

 Others, however, are watching with interest the evolution of the 

 splitting to the fine limits that render it valueless and burdensome, 

 and reduce the splitter to Mr. Mathews's conclusion concerning the 

 Brown Hawk — that " the only alternative (to the use of a 

 binomial name) is the usage of quadrinomials, as leracidea 

 herigora berigora > < kempi." A simple, exact method of 

 indicating the bird is to use the binomial name with the locality 

 name added. Thus, leracidea herigora Katherine River would 

 indicate the bird exactly, and give information concerning its 

 locality. If the series of many species in this great land of few 

 natural barriers were made complete, Mr. Mathews would often 

 find that trinomials would fail. However, that stage has so far 

 been reached in but few cases. In some of the earlier volumes 

 each sub-species was described and numbered separately ; but 

 in later volumes the better plan of discussing all races together, 

 after a description of the species and its literature, has been 

 adopted. 



A considerable amount of present-day controversy has been 

 introduced 'into this great work of reference that for many years 

 must be the standard for Australian ornithologists. This contro- 

 versial matter detracts somewhat from the permanent value of the 

 work. 



Changes of opinion concerning nomenclature by the author 

 have somewhat reduced the value of the work as a reference for 

 nomenclature. Publication began in 1910, when Mr. Mathews 

 was working on the lines of Sharpe's " Hand-list of the Birds of 

 the World," as set out in Mathews's " Hand-list of the Birds of 

 Australia." * In 1912 Mr. Mathews was, in his " Reference-list," f 

 a " lumper " as regards genera. In 1913, Mr. Mathews, now a 

 " splitter," issued his " List of the Birds of x\ustralia." Since 

 tlien he has continued to " improve " and develop his ideas, with 



* Supplement to Emu, vol. vii. f Novitates Zoologicce, vol. xviii. 



