^"'ig^I"'] P^^^ Magazines, S-c. 219 



gnomes and fairies instead of to the Spirit of the Creator. The 

 talented authoress has lost a golden opportunity of lifting, by 

 her powerful pen, the young mind by teaching it to look from 

 Nature up to Nature's God. 



Birds of Melville Island. — The Ibis for January contains 

 " A List of the Birds of Melville Island, Northern Territory," by 

 Mr. Gregory M. Mathews, F.R.S.E. No less than 167 species and 

 sub-species are mentioned, with valuable field-notes, and in some 

 cases descriptions of nests and eggs. The author makes full use 

 of the trinomial licence, and the following are instances of some 

 familiar forms in their new nomenclature (members can guess 

 the vernaculars for themselves) : — Chrysauchcena hmneralis apsleyi, 

 Erolia ferruginea chinensis, Cyanalcyon macleayi distinguendus, 

 Cosmcerops ornatiis shortridgei, Quoyornis leucura greda, MuscUrea 

 grisola riordani, Dulciornis alisteri melvillensis, Microphilemon 

 orientalis bred a. The general reader would suppose that Mr. 

 Mathews had visited Melville Island, and that the field observa- 

 tions were personal ; but. by the mention occasionally, in a 

 negative sense, of Mr. J. P. Rogers's name, it may be inferred 

 that Mr. Mathews had commissioned that reliable collector and 

 observer to visit this interesting locaHty. In his enthusiasm 

 Mr. Mathews no doubt inadvertently omitted to record that 

 circumstance. In any case, ornithological knowledge has been 

 greatly enriched. 



A New Journal. — The first part (January, 1914) of The South 

 Australian Ornitliologist has been received, and is welcomed. It 

 is a 24-page journal (size, demy 8vo), modestly got up, but of 

 far-reaching importance and prospective usefulness. The South 

 Australian Ornithological Association is to be congratulated on 

 its ability to support an organ of its own. 



The opening chapter contains a succinct and most interesting 

 account, by Mr. R. Compton, R.A.O.U., of " The History of 

 Ornithology in South Australia," of course including the history 

 of the Ornithological Association, which was founded the year 

 previous to the inauguration of the R.A.O.U. It is well to write 

 up such histories " while it is yet day," and not wait, as is usually 

 the case, for a " jubilee," when all papers and persons concerned 

 are often not available. 



" The Avifauna of Melville Island, Northern Territory," by 

 Mr. F. R. Zietz, R.A.O.U., is the next article, and by the aid of 

 trinomiahsm the author has been able to add no less than nine 

 sub-species, with short descriptions, to the Australian bill of 

 birds, namely: — Chalcophaps chrysochlora melvillensis, Astur 

 clams robust us, Aprosmidus erythropterus melvillensis, Chrysococcyx 

 minutillus melvillensis, Petroica cucullata melvillensis, Pachycephala 

 gutturalis longirostris, Pachycephala rufivenlris minor, Cvlluricincla 



