276 The Scottish Naturalist. 



review ; and we welcome it gladly as a worthy companion to such books as 

 Gray's " Birds of the West of Scotland" and Saxby's " Birds of Shetland.'' 

 Like these, it is a valuable record of facts relating to the natural history of 

 Scotland, in a district of great interest to the ornithologist ; but it includes 

 all the Vertebrates of the district, instead of being confined to the Birds. 



The authors preface their fauna with chapters that treat of the physical 

 aspects of the country, their sources of information with regard to the verte- 

 brate fauna of the district, both published and manuscript, a memoir of Henry 

 Osborne (a promising ornithologist who prepared a Bird-fauna of Caithness 

 during several years of illness before his early death), and the faunal position 

 of Sutherland and Caithness. The authors have "for the most part followed 

 the list of Messrs. Clarke and Roebuck's Vertebrate. Fauna of Yorkshire." 

 It is perhaps rather to be regretted that they have inserted the entire list from 

 that work, as it is a little confusing to be troubled with the names of the 

 numerous species that do not occur in the North of Scotland. The mammals 

 include the Pipistrelle Bat (rare), Mole, Common Shrew, Water Shrew, Wild- 

 cat, [Wolf], Fox, Marten, Weasel, Stoat, Polecat, Otter, Badger, Common 

 Seal, Harp Seal (once), Grey Seal, Rorqual (once), Sperm Whale (once), 

 White Whale, Pilot Whale, [Wild Boar], [Reindeer], Red Deer, Roe Deer, 

 Squirrel (formerly native, then extinct, re-entered Sutherland in 1859), [Beaver], 

 Long-tailed Mouse, House Mouse, Black Rat (once), Brown Rat, Water Vole, 

 Field Vole, Red Field Vole, Common Hare, Mountain Hare (decreasing), 

 Rabbit ; (names of extinct species are in square brackets). 



Over 200 species of Birds are recorded as found in the district, though a 

 good many of them have occurred only once or twice. The Great Auk and 

 the Capercailzie are extinct, and several others are noted as rapidly verging 

 towards extinction. The Reptiles are limited to the Adder, Common Lizard, 

 and Slowworm ; and the Amphibia to the Frog, Toad, and three Newts 

 ( Triton cristatus, T. taeniatus, and T. palmipes). The marine fishes of the 

 whole of the Moray Firth have been included, along with those of the Pentland 

 Firth and of the Atlantic coast. Thus about two-thirds of the British Fishes 

 have been recorded from within the limits included ; but not a few of these are 

 very rare or have been taken only on the south shore of the Moray Firth. 



The remarks attached to many of the Vertebrates are of very great interest 

 and value, and well repay careful perusal. The illustrations and the get-up of 

 the book are admirable. All interested in Scotch Zoology will find much to 

 commend, and little to take exception to, in it, and will look forward with 

 high anticipations to the appearance of the work that we understand is now 

 occupying Mr. Harvie Brown's attention, upon the Zoology of the Outer 

 Hebrides or Long Island. 



We have pleasure in calling the attention of our readers to two books issued 

 since the beginning of the present year by Messrs. Roper & Drowley, London, 



The Shell-Collector's Handbook for the Field, by Dr. J. W, 

 Williams, is a manual of the Land and Fresh- Water Mollusca of the British 

 Islands, and is the most successful effort that we are acquainted with to 

 provide reliable descriptions of the species and varieties of these animals and 

 their shells, in a form convenient for the pocket. It is, of course, well up to 



