352 Recent Literature. aes 
all the principal types of birds, and indicates the possibilities of using 
characters drawn from these structures in the systematic arrangement of 
the class Aves. 
Dr. Wood is to be congratulated upon his success in securing such a 
representative lot of material and such splendid results — a task which 
must have required much time and patience, as well as upon providing for 
- ornithologists a work of reference on a subject upon which very few have 
had any accurate knowledge. The value of Dr. Wood’s researches to 
ophthalmology must also be very great and his work furnishes another 
instance of the praiseworthy tendency of modern medical research to carry 
investigation beyond the human subject through the lower types of verte- 
brates. 
The publishers have done their part of the work well and both plates and 
text are beautifully printed. The only regrettable feature is the lack of an 
index which would have enabled the reader to bring together scattered 
information dealing with single topics.— W. 8. 
Mathews’ ‘The Birds of Australia.’ '— Two thick parts of Mr. 
Mathews’ great work have appeared since the last notice in these columns. 
While the paper and typography remain fully up to the high standard that. 
the publishers have set, we think that some of the recent plates are not 
equal to those of the early numbers. The parrots which furnish the subject 
matter of these last two parts present a gorgeous array of species and the 
plates are among the most brilliantly colored of any that the work will 
contain. 
The text is very full and as usual is devoted largely to a discussion of 
questions of nomenclature and taxonomy. We feel sometimes that the 
author would have made his points clearer if he had condensed his dis- 
cussion, for in his praiseworthy efforts to present all the evidence to the 
reader, he has reprinted large sections from his previous publications which 
sometimes tend to confuse, especially when double sets of quotation marks 
are used as on page 234, where it looks at first sight as if some of the quoted 
‘““ subspp. n.” appeared here for the first time. 
The accounts of the various species are based upon the observations of 
Mr. Mathews’ correspondents in Australia as well as upon published 
accounts and appear to bring the subject fully up to date. The frequent 
allusions to former abundance and present day scarcity among these 
splendid birds will be read with regret by all who peruse Mr. Mathews’ 
pages. 
As to matters of nomenclature, those who enjoy delving into puzzling 
problems will find plenty to occupy their attention in the parts before us. 
The discussion under the genus Kakatoé is particularly interesting. The 
A. O. U. Committee on Nomenclature some years ago adopted certain 
1The Birds of Australia. By Gregory M. Mathews. Vol. VI. Part II, February 6, 
1917. Part III, April 17, 1917. 
