266 Notes and Notices. [isf April 



Fifth International Ornithological Congress. — The 

 committee of the Fifth International Ornithological Congress, 

 to be held in Berlin from 30th May to 4th June, 1910, 

 invites A.O.U. members to attend. It is under the presidency 

 of Dr. Reichenow, as arranged at the London Congress, 

 1905. The fee for membership is £1, which entitles 

 members to actively engage in discussion at the Congress 

 and receive a copy of the Transactions. Ladies may also 

 become members by paying £1. Ladies may receive 

 all the privileges of membership for los., except a copy of 

 the deliberations. If any member desires to contribute papers 

 he should give the title and other particulars as soon as possible. 

 Official languages are German, English, French, and Italian. 

 Meetings will take place during the Congress in sections, viz. — 

 Anatomy and Palaeontology, Systematic and Geographic Dis- 

 tribution, Biology and Oology, Bird Protection, Acclimatization 

 and Treatment, Breeding and Study of Domestic Birds. Mr. 

 Gregory M. Mathews, F.L.S., &c., will officially represent the 

 A.O.U. 



A Certificate. — I hereby certify that I have known Mr, G. 

 M, Mathews, a member of the British Ornithologists' Union, for 

 five years, during which period he has been a constant worker 

 in this Museum, devoting his time to the study of Australian 

 ornithology. 



I have for some time been aware that it was his intention to 

 write a book on " The Birds of Australia." This will supply a 

 much-felt want, Gould's work being quite out of date.* 



Mr. Mathews' first volume is now almost finished, and he has 

 entered into an agreement with Messrs. Witherby and Co., 326 

 High Holborn, W.C., to publish his forthcoming work. 



Under these circumstances, I venture to hope that you may 

 be willing to assist him in every possible way with the loan of 

 specimens or otherwise, so that his work may be carried out 

 under the most favourable circumstances, — W. R. Ogilvie 

 Grant, British Museum (Nat. Hist.), South Kensington, 20th 

 Dec, 1909. [Mr, Mathews has made an admirable commence- 

 ment with his self-imposed gigantic task. It is understood that 

 the plates for Part I. are almost, if not already, complete. 

 By working assiduously in his library, and by a visit to the 

 Continent, Mr. Mathews has succeeded in getting figures of the 

 four Australian Emus — namely, Droin<2us novcB-liollandice^ D. 

 diemefiensis, D.parvulus, and D. minor; the three last, of course, 

 are unfortunately extinct. This will be the first occasion of all 

 being figured together, — Eds.] 



* Probably Mr. Ogilvie (jrant refers to portions of Gould's letterpress only- 

 Gould's great pictures will never be " out of date."— Eds, 



