64 Book Notices. [^''^y,, 



Nat. 



ly 



Kingfisher— more familiar under the name of Laughing Jackass, 

 which is happily being gradually supplanted by Kookaburra, 

 presumably a native name. The insects dealt with include 

 twenty-seven species, ranging through the various orders. Of 

 beetles, several of the longicorns, so destructive to timber, are 

 described, and plates given of their life-histories, but perhaps 

 the most remarkable insect figured is a scale found on the She- 

 oak, which was named by Maskell after the author some years 

 ago. Its life-history, which is too long to reprint here, has been 

 recently worked out, and reads like a fairy tale, fully entitling it 

 to be regarded as perhaps the most wonderful insect in the 

 world. As usual, hints on means of destruction, &c., are in- 

 cluded in each chapter. One of the insects described, the 

 Greater Vine Scale, bids fair to become the scourge of suburban 

 gardens, having greatly extended its sphere of operations during 

 recent years. We are glad to learn that though ^Ir. French has 

 now ceased to be attached to the Department of Agriculture, 

 having exceeded the age limit, the Minister has acceded to his 

 request to be allowed to finish the work as originally planned, 

 and that the final part will be issued in the course of a month 

 or two. With this part the author will have described about 

 130 insects and 40 birds, and the work will remain for all time 

 as a monument of Mr. French's enthusiasm, the only regret 

 being that owing to lack of funds it has taken rather more than 

 twenty years to accomplish. The illustrations have been 

 beautifully printed in colours by Osboldstone and Co., the 

 Government Printer being responsible for the complete work. 



The month of June, 191 1, will long be remembered by 

 residents in the Yarra valley on account of the long-continued 

 flood, which in many places lasted for more than a fortnight. 

 The lagoons at Willsmere, well known to the pond-life hunters 

 of the Field Naturalists' Club, were covered by at least ten feet 

 of water during the whole of the time. According to an article 

 in the Argus of Saturday, ist July, the great influx of fresh 

 water into Port Phillip Bay has had the effect of killing 

 quantities of the smaller forms of Crustacea, &c., along the 

 eastern shore of the bay, particularly at that usually prolific 

 collecting ground, near Black Rock, known as " Quiet Corner." 

 It will be interesting to note what effect the flood will have on 

 the pond -life of the coming season. 



The first portion of the provisional list of common names for 

 Victorian plants was published in the Journal of the Department 

 of Agriculture for June. The committee will be pleased to 

 receive critical remarks and suggestions from persons who 

 consider that improvements can be made in any of the names. 

 Correspondence should be forwaided to the hon. sec. Dr. C. S. 

 Sutton, Rathdown-street, North Carlton. 



