Vol. X, 

 lyio 



J Reviews. 67 



Cuckoo {ChalcocoLxyx liicidus) being accidental. If it can get 

 down to Macquarie Island it can surely reach Tasmania. Mr. 

 Littler recognizes two species of Brown or Swamp Quail for the 

 island — namely, Symvcus austnilis and S. dienienensis. As only 

 one Albatross, the White-capped {TJialassogeron cautus) breeds 

 in Australia, and that in Tasmanian waters (Albatross Island), 

 it is remarkable that Mr. Littler has dismissed this fine species 

 with such sparse remarks. Regarding the Musk-Duck {Biziura 

 lobata), Mr. Littler confirms the clutch of eggs as " two or 

 three," a statement that will be a slight shock to some oologists, 

 who affirm that this curious Duck lays double these numbers. 



The omissions of the " Handbook " are indeed few, if any. 

 The White-naped Honey-eater {Melithreptus lunulatiis) was 

 secured on the Kent Group by the expedition of the Field 

 Naturalists' Club of Victoria, 1890, also a variety oi Sericornis 

 frontalis. Mention also might have been made of the recently 

 extinct Emus of Tasmania and King Island. 



The handbook is adorned with 50 beautiful half-tone photo, 

 blocks of birds, nests, &c., many of which have, as acknowledged, 

 been previously reproduced in The Emu. At the end of the 

 volume, in the form of an appendix, is an " Extract from the 

 Tasmanian Game Protection Act 1907." Even ornithologists 

 should know enough of the law to keep them out of trouble. 



In conclusion, as the little work has been classically treated 

 by the author, so have the printers, Messrs. Walker, May and 

 Co., Melbourne, ably done their share. The setting and 

 arrangement of the type and printing are artistic, while typo- 

 graphical errors are practically nil. The book is worth double 

 its published price, 4s. 



[" The Subantarctic Islands of New Zealand."] 



The library of the A.O.U. has been enriched by two hand- 

 somely got up volumes, quarto size, which have been presented 

 by the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, on "The Sub- 

 antarctic Islands of New Zealand." 



The volumes, which are edited by Dr. Chas. Chilton, are 

 mainly the reports on the geo-physics, geology, zoology, and 

 botany of the islands lying to the south of New Zealand, based 

 chiefly on the observations and collections made during an 

 expedition in the Government steamer Hinemoa (Capt. J. 

 BoUons), in November, 1907. 



The scientific members of the expedition numbered 26, and 

 were divided — one party landing on Auckland Islands and the 

 other party on Campbell Island ; arrangements as to camp-life — 

 tents, cook, &c — being somewhat similar to those carried on 

 during the Union's own insular working camp-out expeditions. 

 The Hinemoa reached Auckland Islands on the i6th November, 



