Recently published Ornithological Works. \7V 



Staff-Surgeon Levick's observations were all made at the 

 rookery at Cape Adare during the summer season 1911-12, 

 and he enters very minutely into the life-history of the 

 birds during mating, nesting, incubation, and the upbringing 

 of the young birds until the departure from the rookery, for 

 which, curiously enough, he does not give a definite date. 



Mathews on Australian Birds. 



[The Birds of Australia. By Gregory M. Mathews. Vol. v. pt. ], 

 pp. 1-152, pis. 234-244. London (Witherby), November 191-5. 4to.] 



In this Part the author has reached the Falconiformes, 

 and he begins the Order with his usual j^relirainary disser- 

 tation^ in which he treats of its handling by Kaup, Sharpe, 

 Gurney, and others. Naturally we cannot always expect 

 such discoveries as in the case, for instance, of the Petrels ; 

 but the interest is well sustained throughout these pages, 

 and lies to a great extent in reviewing the work of ancient 

 voyagers, while determining the species they met with, and 

 correcting their errors or those of their successors. Very 

 full accounts are given of the early history of the birds, 

 and of the genera under which they should be placed ; 

 while much information, both old and new, is given of their 

 habits, the Harriers and the Wedge-tailed Eagle being good 

 examples of this treatment. 



On one point we can hardly agree with Mr. Mathews. 

 He appears to consider it best that all doubtful forms should 

 be provisionally named, and the names upheld until their 

 validity is disproved. This tends to cumber our pages subse- 

 quently with many synonyms, and we believe that the needs 

 of the moment might be met by simply discussing the forms 

 without naming them, especially in the case of subspecies. 

 In the present Part, racial names are bestowed on various 

 subspecies, though they are included in the specific 

 synonymy, and are only recognized as doubtful in the 

 letterpress that follows (c/. pp. 32, 42, 71, 81, 112, 123, 

 142, 148). 



Several points of special importance should be noticed. 

 Lacepede's names are considered '' nomina nuda " and cited 



