Bimms or Care "Yank Pexinsuta—By Donald Thomson, ose, Research Fellow, University of Melbourne.
'Angus' & Robertson, Sydney. 1/6.
This little book which is now in hands has given me quite a thrill: T thought T knew something. about birds but have often hesitated to tell about some of their doings, in ease I should be accused of, pulling the long bow. Very well thea, listen to this:
The Scrub-fowl (Megapodius reln~ wardt)....ls a shyer bird. than the Serub-turkey, and Is capable of more sustained fight. mounds were trequentl ry, and were at once distinguished from those of Alectura latham (the Serub-turkey) by their great size. One fof these. mounds....measured elghty~ two feet and elghi inches In diameter. sand Was eight feet and nine inches in height. The exe cavity was thirty feet "aeross...~
I have purposely spelt out the meos urements instead of using figures so source as the London "Dally Mirror" dated April 13, 1938, which publishes photograph' of "The Australian Brush Turkey building its giant nest" Jwith the following remarks attached:
In the quiet woods of Whipsnade, an outsize in nests in lowly. taking shape. "At present it is roughly four feet high. with a diameter of ten to twelve feet. In October when it Is completed. it will be six feet, high, Sixteen. feet_In diameter and weigh five tons..."
Wonders Undreamt-of Now I go back to Dr. Thomson's! {fascinating little book and find that the eighty-two-foot nest of the [Scrub-fowl is easily distinguished from the nest of the Scrub (or Brush) Turkey by' its grete: size.
the "Daily Mirror* and its Whipsnade story pale into insignificance, But it is all quite true; and anyone who may have a sufficlfent interest In ornithology to read Dr. Thomson's book will quickly rea~ that his work is scientifically acjeurate in every respect. The Commonwealth Government have provided a fund to encourage scientife writers to give their best, and the book under' review is an' only too short example of the work which is Waiting to be done by any serious naturalist who Is willing and able to tell the world about many unknown wonders.
Much familiar matter {3 dealt with this book and readers in China will be interested to note that among many birds familiar to them there fre found in that farcofl country, a Yellow Oriole (whose clear rolling notes resounded on all sides), a Quail named Exeatfactoria chinensis; Heron, Goshawk, Teal, Kite and Osprey, just fas, we Know them in this country. Yet the fact remains that the avifauna of Australia incl wonders Which we can hardly dare to dream
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.