Recently published Ornithological Works. 673 



list of Birds^ and begins, like that work, with the lower forms 

 of Bird- life. The authors have been obliged to concentrate 

 their work, in order to get the large store of information 

 that we now possess on this favonrite subject within the 

 limits of a single volume. In doing this we think that they 

 have acted wisely. Abjuring synonyms altogetlier they give 

 only the English and scientific names of each species, 

 descriptions of both sexes, and a short account of the 

 geographical range. Useful '^ keys to the species " are 

 added, where required, with many general remarks on all the 

 better known groups and their ways of life. 



The volume is reiulered still more valuable by a large 

 number of illustrations, mostly taken from photographs, 

 some of which are excellent, but others are perhaps hardly 

 up to the mark. 



101. Mathews on Australian Birds. 



[TLo Bh-ds of Australia. Bj Gregory M. Mathews. Loudon, 4to. 

 Vol. I., pt. 6, Contents, I'reface, Index ; "\'ol. 11., pts. 1, 2. (January, 

 May, July, 1912.)] 



These parts of Mr. ]\Iatliews' work include the majority of 

 the Australian Proccllariiformes or Petrels ; and — apart from 

 the excellence of the ])lates and the life-histories of the birds, 

 where they are known — are of great importance to all wiso 

 are interested in the correct identification of the members 

 of this admittedly difficult group. 



In the first place, the author has been fortunate enough to 

 rediscover at the British Museum the original manuscript 

 of Dr. Solander, which had probably last been seen by 

 G. R. Gray in 1871. The value of this discovery can hardly 

 be overestimated, for Solander accoiupanied Sir Joseph 

 Banks as zoologist and botanist on Capt. Cook's first 

 voyage, and gave beautifully clear Latin diagnoses of the 

 birds met with, apparently from fresh examples. INIr. 

 Mathews now gives us exact copies of all these diagnoses, 

 and thus enables us to make up our minds on many doubtful 

 points and to check the work of later authors. But this is not 



