236 A Valuable Gift to the R. A. O.U. [isf"jan. 



the result tliat his great work does not represent his latest views, 

 except possibly in the latest parts. Many of the plates bear a 

 different name from that used in the letterpress. However, Mr. 

 Mathews has achieved his main aim — after all, the chief purpose 

 of the scientific worker. He says, in the preface of vol. v. : — 

 " My only aim is to secure the truth and put the Australian avi- 

 fauna in such a state that my successors will be able to treat it 

 with the fewest complications." This he has achieved by 

 absolute candour and open-mindedness. He certainly is open to 

 conviction, and is the keenest critic of his own work, which he 

 constantly seeks to " improve." 



One tendency must be regretted. Mr. Mathews's desire is to 

 is to achieve " consistency." It is doubtful if consistency as 

 regards generic division is worth achieving — indeed, it has been 

 said " consistency is the least of all the virtues." In striving for 

 consistency Mr. Mathews has in numerous cases deprived generic 

 names of all value. He uses trinomials, but the first and second 

 names are mostly synonymous. The generic name has no value ; 

 as " W.S.," in The Aiik, in a review of the last published part 

 of Mr. Mathews's work, says, " the value of the generic name is 

 nil.'" Having reduced the value of the generic name to " w7," 

 what has Mr. Mathews gained ? Consistency in generic division, 

 he would doubtless claim. To some it seems unnecessary to apply 

 the same standards of fine division to thirty-five orders, con- 

 taining two-fifths of the world's birds, as are necessary in dividing 

 the one order — Passeriformes — containing three-fifths of the 

 19,000 species of birds given in Sharpe's " Hand-list." Possibly 

 Mr. Mathews has gained consistency, if that were possible, but he 

 has caused much confusion and has benefited ornithology little 

 in this regard. Further, he has rendered desirable the use of 

 super-genera, or some such, to replace the old genus, a convenient 

 basis of comparison for the birds of different regions. Fortunately, 

 this is only a phase, that possibly will not long trouble orni- 

 thologists. Mr. Mathews is working loyally as a member of a 

 committee of the B.O.U. to prepare an authoritative list of the 

 birds of the world. We know him both as a " lumper " and a 

 " splitter," but always as a keen, able, and determined seeker 

 after truth. With his vast store of material, knowledge, and 

 experience, it is expected that a list acceptable to all will soon 

 be issued. 



The hand-coloured plates represent high-water mark in bird 

 illustrations. The birds are beautifully and artistically drawn, 

 and coloured true to nature. Such a slight error as the 

 female Blue-billed Duck, correctly stated as having a green bill, 

 but figured with a blue bill, is merely the trifling exception that 

 proves the rule. Most of the birds are excellently posed, though 

 a few in the Parrot volume leave something to be desired in 

 this connection. 



Publishers, artists, printers, and binders have done their part 

 well for this important work — easily the biggest Australian work 

 since the time of John Gould, in the forties and early fifties. 



