voi.xxvmj Recent Litemture 13 5 



Rubow's ' The Sea Gull.' — This is a brochure ' of twenty-five beauti- 

 fully executed half-tone illustrations and three pages of text, devoted to 

 the life-history of the common Sea Gull of Europe as seen in Denmark. 

 The series of illustrations begins with a mated pair of birds shown standing 

 on a sea-girt rock; this is followed by views of a breeding colony on their 

 nests; by single nests with eggs, amid natural surroundings; sitting birds 

 on nests; nests with the eggs hatching; newly hatched young birds with 

 the parent birds in attendance; young birds at a later stage of develop- 

 ment; a flock of adult birds in the air over a field, searching for insect 

 larva? as exposed by a farmer in plowing; the series closing with views of 

 small parties of gulls perched on rocks along a seashore or flying in the air. 

 The text (in Danish) tells briefly the story so fully and beautifully illus- 

 trated in the plates. The brochure as a whole is exceedingly artistic, 

 both plates and text being printed on heavy clear white plate paper, and 

 bound in paper of a similar quality but of a pale blue-gray tint; the cover 

 title is bordered with deep blue waved lines and the title printed in deep 

 blue and black. Rarely have we met with a more pleasing and tastefully 

 made ornithological booklet. — J. A. A. 



Mathews's 'The Birds of Australia.' 2 — Volume I, Part 1, of this 

 great work on Australian Birds was issued October 31, 1910. The work is 

 published by subscription, by the well-known London publishers, Witherby 

 & Co., and it is announced that "at least four parts will appear each year." 

 The first part contains the Casuariiformes (5 species), the Galliformes 

 (9 species), and the Turniciformes (7 species), or a total of 19 species, 

 each illustrated. The first seven volumes (to form 30 parts), as announced 

 in the prospectus, will carry the work to the Passeres, which, comprising 

 some 450 species, will occupy Volume VIII and the succeeding volumes to 

 the end of the series. 



Since the completion of Gould's 'Birds of Australia,' in seven folio 

 volumes (1841-1848, with five supplementary parts, 1851-1869), half a 

 century ago, many species have been added to the avifauna, and a vast 

 amount of new information recorded respecting the life histories and dis- 

 tribution of Australian birds. It is the purpose of the author of the pres- 

 ent work to bring together as complete an account of each species as 

 possible, availing himself of all published information as well as the results 

 of his own personal observations, and the assistance of field ornithologists 



1 Dansk Fugleliv | Stormmaagen | (Larus canus) | The Seagull, Die Sturm- 

 move, La Mouette cendree | Dens Liv i Billeder. Fotograferet efter Naturn | af i 

 C. Rubow | [Seal] Gyldendalske Boghandel | Nordisk Forlag | Forlagets Bogtryk- 

 keri | MDCCCCX — Large 8vo, title page, 18 half-tone plates, 3 pp. text (un- 

 paged). 



2 The | Birds i of | Australia | By | Gregory M. Mathews I Member of the 

 Australian Ornithologists' Union and the | British Ornithologists' Union | With 

 hand -colored plates | [Vignette] Volume I. Part 1. | London: I Witherby & Co. 

 326 High Holborn W. C. | October 31st 1910 — Royal 4to, pp. 1-96, pll. (colored), 

 i-xix. Edition, 300 numbered copies. Price, £2, 2 s. per part. 



