REVIEWS 135 



The plates, most of which did duty in Jardine's " Naturalists' 

 Library," we are sorry to see resurrected, since they are only to be 

 tolerated at the price. Many of us, perhaps, would prefer the books 

 minus the plates. It must be said, however, that the plates in the 

 monkey volumes are by Mr. Keulemans, and have been specially 

 drawn for the work. Some of the bird plates are by the same well- 

 known artist. 



The most important of the volumes, from a British naturalist's 

 point of view, is the one by Dr. Sharpe on " British Birds." In this, 

 as indeed in all the others, the subject matter is most admirably 

 arranged under definite headings, and we can find the precise item 

 of information desired in a moment a most excellent feature, absent, 

 alas, from too many scientific works. The matter, like the treatment, 

 is in many respects most excellent, but we demur from several of Dr. 

 Sharpe's methods. We do not approve of the changes made in the 

 generic names of many species, believing that in a popular work, as 

 this is sure to be, such departures from accepted names are most un- 

 desirable. 



Nor do we acquiesce in the promotion to full specific rank of 

 such mere departures from their respective types as Parus dresseri 

 and Anorthura [Troglodytes] hirtensis. It is all very well to inveigh 

 against the use of trinomials, and then to bolster up such species as 

 these. If trinomials had been used for these birds, at least one 

 advantage would have accrued ; namely, we should have fully 

 appreciated their true value and precise relationships, i.e. as races only 

 of particular species. 



As Scottish naturalists, we cannot always agree with Dr. Sharpe's 

 remarks on the status and distribution of several of our species. Thus 

 the Goldfinch is not "an accidental visitor," but a resident, and is not 

 uncommon in the S.W. The Marsh Titmouse is resident in Strath- 

 spey, and thus breeds much farther north than Stirlingshire. Several 

 records of our very rarest visitors are omitted. Among others, of the 

 Desert Wheatear obtained at Arbroath in 1888; and the Red-breasted 

 Fly-catcher in the Outer Hebrides, the only Scottish record, for the 

 Berwick-on-Tweed specimen was obtained in Northumberland. 



Mr. Kirby, in his very acceptable volume on Butterflies, makes 

 special reference to all the British species. The plates are good, 

 and woodcuts excellent. 



The above criticism, however, chiefly concerns matters of opinion, 

 and it affords us pleasure to recommend these volumes as excellent 

 books on the subjects upon which they treat. They are well printed 

 and nicely got up, and are marvels of cheapness 



A MONOGRAPH OF THE LAND AND FRESHWATER MOLLUSCA OF 

 THE BRITISH ISLES. By John W. Taylor, F.L.S., with the assistance 

 of W. D. Roebuck, F.L.S., the late Charles Ashford, and other well- 

 known conchologists. (Leeds: Taylor Brothers, 1894.) 



