''The Mallee-Fowl'' is a book published by

Angus & Robertson Angus & Robertson (A&R) is a major Australian bookseller, publisher and printer. As book publishers, A&R has contributed substantially to the promotion and development of Australian literature.Alison, Jennifer (2001). "Publishers and editors: A ...

in 1962, with the subtitle ''The Bird that Builds an Incubator''. It was authored by Australian

ornithologist Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the "methodological study and consequent knowledge of birds with all that relates to them." Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and th ...

Harry Frith. It was issued in

octavo Octavo, a Latin word meaning "in eighth" or "for the eighth time", (abbreviated 8vo, 8º, or In-8) is a technical term describing the format of a book, which refers to the size of leaves produced from folding a full sheet of paper on which multip ...

format (224 x 140 mm), containing 148 pages, bound in dark red cloth with a

dust jacket The dust jacket (sometimes book jacket, dust wrapper or dust cover) of a book is the detachable outer cover, usually made of paper and printed with text and illustrations. This outer cover has folded flaps that hold it to the front and back book ...

illustrated by a photograph of a

malleefowl The malleefowl (''Leipoa ocellata'') is a stocky ground-dwelling Australian bird about the size of a domestic chicken (to which it is distantly related). It is notable for the large nesting mounds constructed by the males and lack of parental ca ...

. The book contains numerous

black-and-white Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...

photographs by the author, and is dedicated to "Joe" (one of the subjects of Frith's research). The book was reviewed in the ''

Emu The emu () (''Dromaius novaehollandiae'') is the second-tallest living bird after its ratite relative the ostrich. It is endemic to Australia where it is the largest native bird and the only extant member of the genus ''Dromaius''. The emu' ...

'' by Jack Jones (as J.J.), who says:

"''The Mallee-Fowl''" is an important work in Australian ornithology. It is the first book for public appraisal of a life history obtained by extensive and methodic research in field and laboratory. Its subject – an extraordinary bird species now moving towards rarity through man's indifference – requires such a public book in support of a major and urgent conservation task revealed. The research was done by Frith during 1951 to 1958, at first in private week-end activity, then as a project of the Wildlife Survey Section (now the Division of Wildlife Research, of which Frith is the Chief) of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), with assistance at times by colleagues."

"''The Mallee-Fowl''" is subtitled "''The Bird that Builds an Incubator''". Frith's research was centred on the incubating mound in methodic enquiry of cycle and control; and from that real dominance the enquiry circled out to obtain and collate the remaining substance of life history into relativity, including conservation problems in predation, grazing and clearing for farming. Development of census methods was a necessary corollary. The book bears the research accent by being concerned mainly with life-history detail and gaining of knowledge. It also includes adequate comparison with the other Megapode species, notably the Brush-Turkey and Jungle-Fowl; it speculates briefly on the origin and development of mound incubation in an arid climate; and concludes with a succinct chapter of emphatic appeal for conservation of the Mallee-Fowl."J.J. (1963).

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* * 1962 non-fiction books Ornithological literature Books about Australian birds Angus & Robertson books {{bird-book-stub