Revieivs.



5i



certain proportion of barley-water as recommended by Mr. Brook,

very rarely have any ailment whatever, and live to a considerable

age.


An Index to scientific names is printed at the end of the

volume, but it is a pity that the specific as well as the generic

names are not indexed in alphabetical order. Moreover, the

omission of an index to the popular names is, in our opinion, a

fault that should be remedied in a future edition.


With these few comments we commend the book to our

readers with the assurance that it will be found a very valuable

addition to their libraries. The author’s task has been no light

one, and he is to be heartily congratulated on having produced

the most complete general work on foreign birds from the

avicultural standpoint that has yet been produced. D.S-S.


The July number of the Emu , the organ of the Australian

Ornithologists’ Union, has come to hand, and contains as usual

many articles of interest on Australian birds. Mr. Iredale gives

a most interesting account of the birds of the Kermadec Islands

off the N.E. of New Zealand, illustrated by several photographs,

and Dr. W. McGillivray describes a six weeks bird excursion in

the Region of the Barrier Range. Notes on the habits and food

of the Helmeted Honeyeater (Plilotis cassidix ) should be of use

and interest to aviculturists, and the many other shorter articles

and notes deal exclusively with Australian Birds.


The water birds of Point Pinos, California, have been

effectively dealt with in a paper by Mr. R. H. Beck, in the Pro¬

ceedings of the California Academy of Sciences. Ninety-four

species are dealt with, though the notes merely refer to their

occurrence and the time of year, and are not, therefore, of special

interest to our members. Under the heading water birds are

included Grebes, Divers, Gulls, Terns, Petrels and Waders.



CORRESPONDENCE, NOTES, ETC.


THE SEX OF THE BLACK-CHEEKED LOVEBIRD.


Sir,— In 190S, and again in 1909 at page 149, I wrote to the effect that

the iris of the male of this species is of a lighter colour than is that of the

female. Mr. Astley, in October, 190S, also states that the colour of the eye

of the male differs from that of the female.



