^°g,^'] From Magazines, (S-c. 261 



there be introduced. I liave therefore decided to publish, at 

 irregular intervals, such notes as I deem necessary to require 

 immediate attention and referring to birds which either have been 

 already treated of in my ' Birds of Australia ' or will not be dealt 

 with in the immediate future. In this place it is proposed to 

 indicate new forms, notes on nomenclature, and any other inter- 

 esting matter relating to the Australian avifauna." 



Twenty-one pages out of the 24 pages of the initial part 

 (vol. i., No. i) contain a very interesting and critical paper, 

 showing much research on the part of the editor — " Notes 

 on Australian Cuckoos." From all the reasons and references 

 set forth, Mr. Mathews has allotted to our hitherto 6 genera or 

 13 species, 5 genera (i new), but has multiplied the species and 

 sub-species to 23 (including i species and 8 sub-species new). 



It is to be sincerely hoped that the advent of this new publica- 

 tion does not signal the withdrawal of all Mr. Mathews' serious 

 Australian work from the pages of The Emu — a course to be 

 regretted, especially as Mr. Mathews has received much support 

 from Australian workers (to wit, from Capt. and Mrs. White, who 

 are collecting, regardless of time, inconvenience, and expense, 

 throughout the State of South Australia, and with special Govern- 

 ment permission), and still expects and undoubtedly will receive 

 continued su]iport until the consummation of his self-imposed 

 work. 



Reviews. 



[" Home Life of the Osprey." By Clinton G. Abbott, B.A. Witherby 

 and Co., London. Price 6s.] 



This is the third volume of the Bird-Lover's Home Life Series, 

 and is in every way worthy of its predecessors. The Osprey makes 

 a fine subject for special study, and the photographs reproduced 

 in this pleasant volume form a pictorial record of the domestic 

 life of the great sea-bird. Some of the illustrations show Ospreys 

 in flight, others depict the female alighting on the nest, the young 

 birds, and nests in different situations, including the top of a 

 telegraph pole and the posts of a sapling fence. All the photo- 

 graphs are excellently reproduced, and the plates are artistically 

 mounted on stiff brown paper. The text accompanying this 

 portfolio, although of minor importance, is full of interest, as the 

 author relates his adventures on the coast of New Jersey, at the 

 Great Lake, North Carolina, and at other places where he studied 

 Ospreys. He describes how the wonderful photographs were 

 obtained, and his observations on the habits of the birds are 

 valuable. It was on Gardiner's Island that he found the best 

 opportunities for studying the Osprey, which is protected by 

 natural isolation as well as bv the owners of the island. 



