BOOK NOTICES 127 



BOOK NOTICES. 



A VERTEBRATE FAUNA OF NORTH WALES. By H. E. 

 Forrest. With twenty-eight plates and a map. London : Witherby 

 and Co., 1907. Price 173. 6d. net. 



Those who are interested in the biological survey of the British 

 Islands, which has been making steady progress since the days of 

 Gilbert White, thanks to the voluntary services of field naturalists, 

 must often have wondered why such a natural and singularly 

 attractive area as Wales should be lacking a comprehensive work 

 devoted to any section of its fauna. Even the birds, that fascinating 

 group in which almost every one is more or less interested, have 

 not been more fortunate than the other Orders, and one has had 

 to fall back upon the work of Thomas Campbell Eyton, whose 

 " Attempt " to ascertain the fauna of the northern portion of the 

 Principality was written seventy years ago, for collected information 

 on any section of the Welsh Vertebrates. 



Though British Zoologists have waited long, they have, fortunately, 

 not waited in vain, for Mr. Forrest's book is an excellent one in all 

 respects. The author has the necessary wide personal knowledge 

 of his area and its animals ; and to this he has added, through 

 research, a thorough acquaintance with the scattered literature of 

 his subject. With these essential data at his command he has built 

 up a comprehensive book on a well-considered plan, and the result 

 leaves little, if anything, to be desired. 



The Vertebrate Fauna of North Wales is a rich one, especially 

 in native forms. It comprises 40 species of mammals, 251 birds, 

 4 reptiles, 6 amphibians, and 150 fishes; all of which are very 

 adequately and judiciously treated of. The book also includes 

 sections devoted to the Zoologists of North Wales, the physical 

 features of the area, bird-migration, etc. ; and the whole forms a 

 well-got-up volume of 610 pages, which is appropriately illustrated 

 and provided with a good map. 



Mr. Forrest has proved himself to be such an able and pains- 

 taking author, that we would fain hope that he may be induced to 

 give us a companion volume on the Vertebrate Fauna of South 

 Wales : a work which has now more than ever become a 

 desideratum. 



THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. Series I. By Richard 

 South, F.E.S. ("Wayside and Woodland Series.") London: 

 Frederick Warne and Co., 1907. Price 73. 6d. net. 



This is a delightful little volume, uniform with that on the 

 Butterflies issued some few months ago. Although small enough 

 (6| by 4^ inches) to be carried in the pocket, the book contains 

 343 pages and 159 plates, the latter giving no fewer than 671 



