BOOK NOTICES 203 



BOOK NOTICES. 



Birds Beneficial to Agriculture. By F. W. Frohawk, 

 M.B.O.U. Pp. vi. +47. London: Trustees of the British 

 Museum. Price 2s. 



This fresh addition to the Economic Series of pamphlets issued by 

 the British Museum (Natural History) comes at an opportune moment, 

 when the effects of the disastrous warfare against small birds in this 

 country begin to wear off, and the man behind the gun has to be 

 reminded that in the case of birds "they that be with us are more [far 

 more] than they that be against us." Mr Frohawk calculates that of 

 the birds which regularly inhabit Britain, " 120 species may be regarded 

 as decidedly beneficial to agriculture generally." Of these he describes 

 44, and depicts 22 in his own graphic and accurate way. In addition 

 to short accounts of the specific characters of the selected birds, of their 

 times of migration, of nesting and feeding habits, he has contrived to 

 add a general introduction on the relationship of birds to injurious 

 insects and to agriculture generally. The pamphlet lays the proper 

 stress on the activities normal to most of our birds and will be appreci- 

 ated by naturalists as well as by farmers ; but a stronger insistence on 

 and examination of the detailed relationship of each bird to agriculture, 

 would have brought it better into line with the retnainder of the 

 Economic Series. J. R. 



The Seashore : Its Inhabitants and How to Know Them. 

 By Forster Robson. Pp. 11 1 (illustrated). London: Holden 

 and Hardingham. Price is. 6d. net. 



This small book is intended to guide children and their parents to 

 some slight knowledge of the commoner animals, seaweeds, and flowers 

 likely to be met with on a holiday by the seashore. The intention is 

 good ; and many will, no doubt, find here information which in its 

 freshness and variety will add to the enjoyment of an afternoon on the 

 rocks. But while the information, which naturally is elementary, is on 

 the whole accurate, there are several mistakes, as when the Ship Worm 

 is said to be attached by a " sucker-like mouth " at the end of its 

 " neck," or when the simple structure of a Hydroid is attributed to Sea- 

 mat individuals, or when the " Long Worm " (Lineus) is described as 

 "tape-like." The letterpress also shows careless workmanship; mis- 

 prints are frequent there are three different spellings of the word 

 Coralline, and none is correct ; the description of the colour of the 

 Weaver has been forgotten, some of the figures such as the " Sea 

 Urchin'"' and the "Worm-pipe Fish" are very poor, while the figure of 

 an unrecognisable Hydroid is labelled with the unrecognisable name 

 " Sinu." A little more attention would have added to the usefulness of 

 the book. J. R. 



