By the sayie Author. 



II IE? TO THE BIRDS OF SUSTIi|lll|l^ 



price: 5s. 



EXTRACTS FROM PRESS NOTICES. 



"NATURE," 3rd May, 1900. 



Were it nothin,? more than a synopsis of Australian birds, with just sufficient in 

 the way of description to enable the different species to be easily recognized, this 

 well-printed little "Key" would be to a great extent of merely local interest. But 

 since the author has very wisely made geographical distribution its leading feature, 

 the work appeals to a much wider circle of students than would otherwise have been 

 the case. 



In his " Report on the Zoology of the Horn Expedition," Prof. Baldwin Spencer 

 recently divided Australia into three zoological sub-regions— namely, (i) the 

 Torresian, embracing the northern and eastern districts as far as South Queensland ; 



(2) the Bassian, comprising eastern New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania; and 



(3) the Eyrean, including the remainder of the mainland. These sub-regions 

 are further split up into "areas," and the fact that bird-distribution accords 

 with such a parcelling-out of the continent from other lines of evidence affords 

 important testimony in support of Prof. Spencer's views. It is noteworthy that 

 the South Queensland area forms the headquarters of the Australian Passeres, a 

 fact for which there must surely be some adequate physical reason, if only it 

 could be discovered. The total number of species is 767, among which the black 

 emu is believed to be extinct ; and, so far as we have been able to verify 

 theni, the diagnoses of the various groups and species seem well adapted to 

 their purpose. The work appears singularly free from errors and misprints, and 

 ought to be in the hands of every Australian bird-lover. — R. L. 



"VICTORIAN NATURALIST," vol. xvi., No. 5, 

 September, 1899. 



This work, a preliminary notice of which appeared in the last Naturalist, has now 

 been issued from the press, and seems to fulfil the expectation formed by a perusal of 

 the proof sheets. In addition to the points previously mentioned, the author introduces 

 his work with a short preface of nearly four pages, which is almost entirely devoted to 

 an explanation of the faunal sub-regions adopted, and a comparison of the genera and 

 species occurring in these sub-regions. An index to the genera is followed by a 

 vernacular index, a most useful addition, and a glossary of technical terms used, 

 which, with the frontispiece, a diagrammatic representation of a quail, with the 

 principal external features indicated, should enable any intelligent reader to recognize 

 the distinguishing characters so tersely given, and render the work valuable alike to 

 the ordinary naturalist as to the systematic ornithologist. On the whole Mr. Hall is 

 to be congratulated on his book, which, being issued at the moderate price of five 

 shillings, is within the reach of all. The printing of the w-ork leaves nothing to be 

 desired, and is abundant proof that scientific letter- press can be executed in 

 Victoria. 



^o^i-''^-**!. 



