44 Reviews. [isf^uiy 



the dominant species, and the split genera will be once more 

 lumped, as in the 1908 " Hand-Hst." Mathews's three genera, 

 Pachyptila, Pseiidoprion, and Heteroprion, with their four species 

 and twelve sub-species, have been "lumped" by Loomis in one 

 genus and species,* Pachyptila rittata breeding only in the 

 southern hemisphere. Townsend and Wetmore,t in commenting 

 on Mathews's separation of the Australian representatives of the 

 Sulidce into four genera, say : — " There is no question that the 

 three species of Gannets form a well-characterized genus ; but 

 that there are trenchant lines separating the smaller species known 

 as the Boobies into groups that may be considered of generic 

 rank seems at present uncertain. The differences indicated rather 

 signify only sub-generic differences. For the present it is pro- 

 posed to ignore them and to include all of the smaller Sulidce in 

 Sida, pending further study of available material that may 

 throw hght on the subject from another angle." 



It will be seen from the foregoing notes on the four lists issued 

 by Mathews that he built up a great edifice of sub-species only 

 to proceed to pull it down again. Perhaps it would have been 

 better for the peace of mind of Australian students if the erection 

 and demolition had been confined to the author's study ; but the 

 details of the work having been exhibited to the public, it remains 

 only to render a merited tribute of praise and appreciation of 

 the vast amount of care and concentrated labour that has been 

 expended on the work. The indefatigable author will permit 

 me, perhaps, in rendering him this tribute, to couple with his 

 name that of Tom Iredale, one of the most capable taxonomists 

 of the present day, and whose talents in that direction have, we 

 know, been at the author's disposal. The labours of Mathews 

 and Iredale in seeking out the solution to the puzzle of priority 

 are worthily evidenced in the monumental folio work, " The 

 Birds of AustraUa," and the " Check-list." 



MR. MATHEWS'S 1920 " LIST." 

 Australian ornithologists have given a hearty welcome to Mr. 

 Mathews's latest List — the fourth so far in his series, and certainly 

 not the last. It is marked "Part I.," and contains names of 

 about half the birds of Austraha, from the Emu to the Lyre-Birds. 

 At length, having been legally authorized to begin operations 

 and anxious to see that Australia plays its part in the great world- 

 struggle to reach finaUty by means of an authoritative list of the 

 birds of the world, the members of the " Check-hst " Committee 

 are keenly at work using the mas5 of valuable material so pains- 

 takingly gathered and so well displayed by Mr. Mathews. The 



* " A Review of the Albatrosses, Petrels, and Diving Petrels," Leverett 

 Mills Loomis, Proc. Gal. Acad. Sci., 4th series, vol. xi., 1918. 



t Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College, Cam- 

 bridge, Mass., Aug., 19 1 9. 



