THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 207 



sentences to several pages, recounting various interesting features 

 connected with the habits of the birds, incidents in the taking of 

 the eggs, and other circumstances, in which the names of many 

 members of the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria will be found. 

 Particularly interesting to the early pioneers of the Club will be 

 found the observations on page 400. These pages are well illus- 

 trated with about 130 excellent reproductions of photographs of 

 nests, &c, a great many of which also testify to the author's skill 

 and perseverance in procuring them. Where all are so good it is 

 difficult to call attention to particular plates, but non-Australians 

 should be interested by such a charming picture as " The Haunt 

 of the Lyre-bird," while such plates as " The Nest of the White- 

 bellied Sea-Eagle," or " The Nest of the Wood Duck," demonstrate 

 some of the difficulties of the egg-collector. The pretty Rose- 

 breasted Robin, one of our Victorian rarities, is the only bird 

 figured, and it is honoured with a coloured plate from the brush 

 of Mr. C. C. Brittlebank, whose artistic and natural history 

 accomplishments have often been referred to in these pages. 

 Mr. Brittlebank is also responsible for the drawing and colour- 

 ing of twenty-six plates of eggs, containing representations of 

 about 200 rare or typical Australian specimens, which have 

 been so well reproduced by the mechanical skill of the 

 printers as to bear very critical comparison with the originals 

 in the author's collection. A short appendix, which includes 

 information published in the September issue of this journal, 

 brings the bird notes quite up to date, while a very complete 

 index of vernacular names, filling more than seventeen 

 double-column pages, completes the volume. The space at our 

 disposal prevents any quotation from the work, which is one 

 which should be found in every public library of any pretension 

 throughout Australia. Its production has necessarily cost a 

 large sum, and, though a large number of copies were guaranteed, 

 the author is still dependent upon a generous public to recompense 

 him for his monetary outlay. However, we feel sure the general 

 verdict of satisfaction with which the volume will be received 

 will to some extent compensate him for having spent the spare 

 time of ten years in securing his illustrations, and of the last seven 

 years in preparing his notes for publication. The get-up of the 

 work leaves nothing to be desired, except that had it been issued 

 in two volumes it would have been handier for use, but this, doubt- 

 less, would have increased the price, which to original subscribers 

 has been fixed at fifty shillings, while to future purchasers the 

 price will be three guineas. 



Australian Ornithology. — At the November dinner and 

 meeting of the British Ornithologists' Club of London, the chair- 

 man, Dr. P. L. Sclater, F.R.S., delivered the annual address, in 



