Abstract
THE south-west Pacific, that is, the area between Samoa, New Caledonia and Micronesia, is a rich ornithological field, many interesting and varied species of birds being found in it. This little book is a field guide to them, its author, Dr. Mayr, having worked for many years on Pacific ornithology. In his introduction he points out that the difficulties and the interest of the task are enhanced by the many separate archipelagos involved, each with its distinct bird fauna, though certain species are common to many if not all the archipelagos. He therefore divides his book into a general section and a geographical section, dealing with the seabirds, shore-birds, and land and freshwater birds of the area in the first part, and taking the faunas of the different groups of islands separately in the latter section. The coloured plates and the black-and-white sketches are helpful and enhance the value of a very useful book.
Birds of the Southwest Pacific
A Field Guide to the Birds of the Area between Samoa, New Caledonia and Micronesia. By Ernst Mayr. Pp. xx + 316 + 3 plates. (New York : The Macmillan Company ; London : Macmillan and Co., Ltd., 1945.) 18s. net.
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PITT, F. Birds of the Southwest Pacific. Nature 161, 545 (1948). https://doi.org/10.1038/161545a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/161545a0