Vol. XXIV. 
1925 
Reviews 
309 
Towards the end of last summer notices appeared in various 
trade and fashion papers advertising an autumn boom in Orebe 
plumage. This was followed by a display ot Grebe muffs, ties, 
and trimmings in various furriers’ and drapers establishments. 
As a result of a single seizure by His Majesty s Customs, nearly 
136,000 (135,956) Grebe skins were confiscated and eventually 
destroyed. These skins, which were identified >\ a meirnei 
of our committee, consisted of three species name >, ie i < 
Crested, the Red-necked, and the Black-necked Grebes. Except 
for the heads, legs, and feet, the entire skins weie piesen , ^ 11( 
the birds had been killed in full breeding plumage. ie h 111 ^ 
was, of course, in the most perfect condition, an i 
scarcely credible that so many of these fine, handsome buds 
could possibly have been collected in any European county 
for import into these islands; yet it is certain that the pitiless 
and wholesale slaughter represented by this one importation was 
but a fraction of what has actually taken place to supp > 
markets on the Continent. 
The obvious inference from this most discreditable importa¬ 
tion is that the sudden fashion advertised in Giebe p uma^c 
was one dictated by a trade interest, and was in no \\ay a ie 
sponse to any demand by the public. We confident y en lea 
all British women to avoid the purchase of Giebe p umage n 
any form whatsoever, and we appeal to our leading i ms 
have no doubt been misled in this matter) to pi event any 11 * 
display for sale now that the facts have l )ee |\ iev ^L e( 
and the public.—(From the London Times , Nov. w#*-) 
Reviews 
The Lyre-birds of Mount Buffalo. 
Under this title Messrs. Robertson and Muhens of Melbourne, 
have published a series of photographs of Lyre-Buds me,u g 
the male, female, nest and chick, taken by ‘Guide A1ce w th 
an introduction by Charles Barrett, and hue no es < 0 
circumstances under which the pictuies " eie 0 ifi i' ij;.,, 
appears that “Guide Alice” failed to secure photographs by hiding 
near the nest, so, morning and evening on several successne c av s 
she sat on a rock, in full view, and accustomed th e wary birds 
to her presence; and always she mimicked the mournful notes ot 
the Boobook Owl—“Mo-poke.” The female at length ventured 
near her, trying to say “Mo-poke” herself, and her picture was 
secured. One morning, when the cluck was about a month old, 
it was taken from its nursery, and the mother bird sounded an 
alarm. The male bird responded, came within camera range, 
and his portrait was added to the series. 
All Australian bird-lovers should add this little book to their 
libraries. — W.B.A. 
