THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM MAGAZINE. 



237 



Though our people despise cepha- 

 lo))oda as food, they are esteemed a 

 dainty in many parts of the world. 

 The fish markets of the Mediterranean 

 are always stocked with Loligo. In 

 Ancient Greece, the epicures feasted 

 on them, boiled, roasted, stewed, or 

 grilled. Squid is a reliable bait for 

 sea fishing ; the bulk of the New- 

 foundland cod is taken by it. An 



international dispute once arose over 

 the question of the squid bait for cod- 

 fishery- 



The stories of prodigious monsters 

 that could ])u]l down ships were idle 

 tales. But there are still alive in the 

 sea some cephalopods of gigantic size. 

 Authentic measurements show that 

 some have tentacles thirty feet in 

 length, and some can fight with whales. 



Mateship ivith Birds. By Alec. H. 

 Chisholm. Whitcombe and Tombs, 

 Melbourne. (Angus and Robertson, 

 Ltd.) 7/6. 



This represents probably the most 

 definite attempt that has yet been 

 made in Australia to link nature 

 and literature as was done by the 

 late John Burroughs in the United 

 States and the late W. H. Hudson in 

 Britain. Mr. Chisholm . began his na- 

 ture studies in Victoria, and continued 

 them in Queensland, where for many 

 year he was a leader among working 

 field naturalists ; he was, variously 

 president of the Gould League of Bird- 

 lovers, President of the Field Natura- 

 lists' Club, State Honorary Secretary 

 of the Royal Australian Ornithologists' 

 Union, etc. His book is not in any 

 sense a text-book ; it is a literary 

 record of the experiences of a roving 

 naturalist. Commencing with Vic- 

 toria, the author gives, in " A Pageant 

 of Spring," an intimate study of the 

 re-awakening of the Southlands from the 

 respite of winter. Reading this, one 

 hears the vital voices of returning birds, 

 sees the small nests taking shape in 

 secret coverts, and catches the frag- 

 rance of the small orchids of Septem- 

 ber and October days. The " Pageant" 

 concludes with a study relating to 

 children in Birdland, a chapter derived 

 largely from the author's experiences 

 when lecturing in schools or leading 

 boys and girls in the bush. 



Possibly more value attaches to the 

 second portion of the book, if only for 

 the fact that its subject, " Biographies 

 of Birdland, " has not been well ex- 



plored in Australia. In various chap- 

 ters of this section intimate details are 

 given of the life -histories of our honey - 

 birds, robins, crested birds, whistleis, 

 and other avian notabilities, the whole 

 concluding with the firsthand account 

 of the long search for, and discoveiy 

 of, the rare Paradise Parrot, of Queens- 

 land, a bird that, like many of the 

 Neophema parrots of New South Wales, 

 has been lost to sight for many years. 



" Mateship with Birds " is enriched 

 with an introduction by Mr. C. J. 

 Dennis, who further assists to ally 

 nature and literature, and with a 

 comprehensive index and list of scien- 

 tific names. 



How to Study Birds ; a Practical Guide 

 for Amateur Bird-lovers and 

 Camera-hunters. By H. K. Job. 

 The MacMillan Co.'l922. (Angus 

 & Robertson, Ltd.) 8s., Post free. 



Birds have ever been a favourite sub- 

 ject with nature -lovers and these will 

 find much to interest them in the 

 above work, which, though dealing 

 with the birds of America, will appeal 

 to ornithologists in all countries. The 

 author is a born bird-lover, and his 

 enthusiasm will infect his readers with 

 something of his own spirit. He ex- 

 plains how and where to study birds 

 and gives useful hints as to cameras 

 and the art of photographing birds in 

 the wilds. The book is enlivened with 

 many incidents of the author's adven- 

 tures in the field and contains some 

 fine photographs. 



