^'°' _f '•] Reviews. 217 



Mr. Guthrie-Smith has studied the l)irds of Tutira to some pur- 

 pose. Tutira is situated in the northern portion of Hawke's Bay. 

 It is a sheep station, with " natural advantages of barren and 

 waste land." But the lake, which is some miles in length, " may 

 be considered the heart of the run. Round it centres all the 

 station's life ; all sheep tracks, roads, and stock routes lead to it." 

 There is a peninsula, and, not far off, limestone ranges. The lake 

 is a haunt of Ducks, Herons, Grebes, Bitterns, and other aquatic 

 birds. The present volume deals with fewer than a score sj)ecies, 

 a chapter being devoted to each : but the author writes from first- 

 hand knowledge, and the result is that the reader unfamiliar with 

 New Zealand's avifauna learns more than he would from the 

 perusal of a more pretentious and fuller work. The bird biography 

 is, perhaps, the best method of popularizing ornithology. The 

 most interesting chapters are those on the Weka Rail, the Fern- 

 Bird, and the Tui. Mr. Guthrie-Smith has an easy style of 

 writing, although he sometimes offends with such phrases as 

 " happening on " and " dropping on." Here is a pleasant passage 

 relating to the Mountain-Duck : — 



" Dipping in summer's heat from the fern-clad downs and 

 terraces of pumice grit, often have I enjoyed the cool damp of his 

 fern-hung gorge, and have paused long to watch him in his soli- 

 tudes. The little waterfalls dash into diamonds on his slate-blue 

 plumes. He is thoroughly at home on the bubbling champagne 

 pools. Where the swift stream shows each polished pebble clear 

 he can paddle and steer with ease." 



There are gleams of humour in the book, and the author writes 

 in the liveliest manner about a pet Pukeko called " Budget," or 

 " Budge " for short, and " Uncle Harry," a tame Pigeon. It 

 would have added to the value of the volume had the scientific 

 names of the different birds mentioned in it been given. Even in 

 a popular work these should be included. 



Bearing in mind the great difficulties of obtaining outdoor 

 photo. -pictures of birds and their nests, Mr. Guthrie-Smith's 

 records are extremely good. Special mention may be made of 

 the " Pukeko's (Bald-Coot) Nest," " Harrier's Nest," " Falcon 

 Feeding Young," " Pair of Wax-eyes (Zosierops) at Nest," " Hen 

 Pigeon and Young," " Warblers," &c. Many of the illustrations 

 are almost duplicates, such as Blue Ducks in river and in pool. 

 Again, river scene with same. Perhaps the numbers of the Pigeon 

 are warranted in view of the " passing " of the Passenger-Pigeon 

 of North America. Some of the subjects are pure landscapes 

 showing several planes, the part of ornithological interest being 

 merely a detail. It is not necessary to fill up the whole plate 

 with a bird study, neither is it wise to make the principal subject 

 too small a part of an illustration. The " happy mean " always 

 scores best. Mr. Guthrie-Smith's pictures have been technically 

 well reproduced in photogravures and half-tone blocks by Messrs, 

 Hood and Co., IMiddlesbrough, England. 



