Vo ! 5 o3 L ] *«*■««■ 79 



given, but also valuable notes on their habits in a wild state. 

 The work is well illustrated, and is to average about three coloured 

 plates per part. The three parts to hand contain admirable 

 examples of the work of Mr. H. Goodchild and Mr. H. Gronvold, 

 whose faithful reproductions of bird life are well known to orni- 

 thologists. Amongst the Australian items of interest in the first 

 three parts are the sections dealing with the Swainson or Blue- 

 bellied Lorikeet {Trichoglossus novce-hollandice) ; the Red- 

 collared Lorikeet (Trichoglossus rubitorques) ; the Scaly-breasted 

 Lorikeet (Psitteuteles chlorolepidotus) ; the Musky Lorikeet 

 (Glossopsittacus concinnus), so common in parts of Eastern 

 Australia ; the Cockateil or Cockatoo-Parrakeet (Calopsittacus 

 novce-hollandice) , which is described as, with the exception of 

 the Budgerigar, " the commonest Australian Parrakeet with 

 English aviarists ; " the Great-billed Parrakeet, from Western 

 New Guinea, &c, and other Malayan species ; Barraband 

 Parrakeet (Polytclis barrabandi), so well known as the " Green- 

 Leek " in Eastern Australia (this admirable coloured plate is by 

 Mr. H. Gronvold) ; the Black-tailed Parrakeet {Polytclis nicl- 

 anura), commonly known in Australia as the " Rock-Pebbler " ; 

 and the Alexandra Parrakeet (Spathoptcrus alcxandrcs, Gould), 

 from Central and Western Australia, brought more under notice 

 since the Horn Expedition, 1894. When it is remembered that 

 the present parts of the work embrace also American and Asian 

 species, and that for each full notes and instructions are given, 

 it will be realized how valuable it must prove to aviculturists 

 and students of bird life. The publisher is Mr. R. H. Porter, 

 7 Prince's-street, Cavendish-square, W., from whom the numbers 

 under review have been received. 



Obituary. 



A RECENT mail brought news of the death of one of the founders 

 of the American O.U. Mr. Thomas MTlwraith, author of the 

 first text-book on Canadian birds (" The Birds of Ontario "), 

 and ornithological superintendent of the district of Ontario since 

 the first meeting of that Union, was a man (in the full sense of 

 that word) who devoted every available hour to the duties of 

 his office and the pursuit of bird-lore. He passed away on 31st 

 January. The late Mr. MTlwraith possessed one of the largest 

 and best private collections in Canada, got together by many 

 an hour of patient search in American woods. The MTlwraith 

 family, and more particularly Mr. Wm. MTlwraith, of Rock- 

 hampton, to whom the deceased was closely related, and who 

 was the suggester of the system of observing stations which the 

 Aust. O.U. has endeavoured to establish throughout Australia, 

 are so well known to local ornithologists that deep sympathy will 

 be felt for a loss which is not only personal to them, but one to 

 the scientific world. 



