Vol. XX. -1 Review. Ill 



1920 J 



The first part drals with the Pittas, Scrub-Birds, Swallows and 

 iNhirtins, and three Fl^'catchers. The AustraUan Robins, hero 

 subdivided into seven genera of one species each, the Short- billed 

 Tree-Tit, and tlie White-throated and Brown Fly-eaters are 

 treated in Part II. 



Mr. Mathews has worked himself during the past fifteen years 

 into a leading position amongst the world's* ornithologists, and 

 Austrahans are proud that their avifauna is being so thoroughly 

 studied and so excellently depicted. They approve of the splendid 

 treatment given by Mr.' Mathews, but regret that in one matter 

 they are unable to' follow his lead. Attention has previously been 

 drawn to Mr. Mathews's excessive spUtting of genera. In the 

 parts under notice Mr. Mathews has quite out-Herodcd Herod 

 by using 21 genera for the 22 species described, Micrccca alone 

 having two species. Six of the generic names are due to fine 

 sphtting by Mr. Mathews, and he has adopted all previous 

 suggestions of generic subdivision. 



In Mr. Mathews's " Check-hst," Part I., 1920, recently issued, 

 a tendency to moderation and to the adoption of a middle position 

 was noted, but in' these parts an extreme position is apparent. 

 Possibly the parts were prepared for press before the completion 

 of the "Check-hst." This extreme position is the one factor 

 hkely to depreciate the value of Mr. Mathews's monumental work. 

 He started in a medium position as regards genera ; then became 

 a violent lumper, and is now in the extreme splitting position. 

 Indeed, with one more spUt he would have reached in these parts 

 the physical limit of generic splitting— a genus for each species. 

 It is with regret that we have again to draw attention to this 

 renderirtg useless of generic names. 



Additions to the Library. 



By F. Erasmus Wilson, R.A.O.U., Hon. Librarian. 



Owing to pressure on space I am not able to comment on any 

 of the articles appearing in the following pubHcations : — 

 Victorian Naturalist, vol. xxxvi., parts 11 and 12 ; \'ol. xxwii., 



parts I, 2, and 3. 

 Science and Industry, vol. ii., parts j and 4. 

 Australian Naturalist, vol. iv., part 10. 

 Hawkeshury Agricultural College Journal, vol. xvii., parts 4 and 5 ; 



vol. xviii., part i. 

 Ibis, vol. ii., part i. 

 British Birds, vol. xiii., parts 2 and 4. 

 Avicultural Magazine, vol. xi., parts 2 and 4. 

 Bird Lore, vol. xxii., part i. 

 Le Gerfaut, 1919, fas. i and 2 ; 1920, fas. i. 



