Vol. 1I.-| r> • 



1903 J Review. 229 



Review. 



CATALOGUE OF BIRDS' EGGS. 



[" Catalogue of the Collection of Birds' Eggs in the British Museum (Natural 

 History). Vol. ii. — Carinatse (Charadriifomies — Strigiformes)." By Eugene W. 

 Oates. London : Printed by order of the Trustees, 1902. 8vo, pp. i.-xx., 1-400. ) 



In the second volume of this valuable work of reference, which 

 is now available, the high standard of work which was noticed in 

 The Emu (vol. ii., pp. 38-41) in connection with the first volume 

 has been maintained. With such resources as the Trustees of 

 the British Museum have at command, nothing less was to be 

 expected. In the second volume Mr. Oates has continued his 

 conscientious labours by describing in 342 pages the eggs of 

 Plovers, Cranes, Ibises, Ducks and Geese, the Cormorant family, 

 Hawks, Owls, &c., in all 726 species, of which number about 

 1 10 are Australian, one being described for the first time, 

 namely, NotopJioyx flavirostris (Sharpe), or the Pied Egret of 

 Gould. The ^gg was from the Gould Collection, and bore 

 the data, " North Australia." Embodied in the volume are 

 an appendix of 36 pages and 15 coloured plates (Mr. H. 

 Gronvold and Messrs. Pawson and Brailsford, artist and 

 lithographers respectively). These plates include figures of the 

 eggs of the following Australian species, namely : — Aigialitis 

 cucullata (Hooded Dottrel), Ochthodromus geoffroyi {l^^.vge Sand- 

 Dottrel), Peltohyas mistvalis (Dottrel), NotopJioyx novcE-Jiollandice 

 (White-fronted Heron), PJiaeton csthereus (Tropic-Bird), Astur 

 cruentiis (Lesser Goshawk), Astiir approximans (Goshawk), 

 Elanus scriptus (Letter-winged Kite). Where the whole work 

 is so excellent, it is hard to pick a fault. One point in connection 

 with the coloured plates is worth mention, however. If the ^'g'g 

 figured as that of the Australian Dottrel belongs to that species 

 at all — which is doubtful — it certainly is not a typical specimen. 

 The information given as to its place of collection must surely 

 be wrong also — " Victoria, Australia — Gould Coll." can hardly 

 refer to a bird which has not been known to breed so far south. 

 If the &gg really formed part of the Gould Collection, is it 

 possible that, during the time that collector visited these parts 

 some exceptional season induced these Dottrels to depart from 

 their usual habits ? 



The Coloured Plate. 



With this issue the Council of the Aust. O.U. has pleasure in 

 being able to furnish, thanks chiefly to the donors of the 

 " Coloured Figure Fund," the first coloured plate (No. X.), 

 depicting three beautiful and rare Wrens {Mahcri), namely : — 

 M. elizabeth(2 (Campbell),* M. whitei (Campbell),f and M. 



* Ibis, p. 10 (1901). "Y Emti, vol. i., p. 65 (1902). 



