96 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



BOOK NOTICES. 



A Geographical Bihliographv of British Ornithology from 

 THE earliest TIMES TO THE END OF 1918. Arranged under 

 Counties. By W. H. Mullens, H. Kirke Swann, and Rev. 

 F. C. R. Jourdain. To be issued in Six Parts, at 6s. net per 

 Part. London: Witherby & Co., 1919. 



This important work may be regarded as a corollary to Messrs 

 Mullens and Swann's recently published BibliograpJiy of British Orni- 

 iJiologists. It affords a practically exhaustive record of the books, 

 articles, notes and records relating to the avifauna of the British and 

 Irish counties arranged chronologically from the earliest times down to 

 the end of the year 1918. Such a catalogue of the remarkably 

 voluminous literature devoted to the ornithology of the British Isles has 

 never before been attempted on exhaustive lines, and will be of 

 inestimable value to numerous devotees to the study of our birds, 

 and indispensable to all engaged in literary work of a faunal nature. 



Some of the references quoted must, we think, be regarded as 

 superfluous, as, for instance, " My Woodpeckers" (Cheshire), " Magpies 

 in Flocks'' (Derbyshire), "Robbery by a Tomtit" (Cheshire), and 

 numerous others. These have no faunistic value whatever, and if 

 it were desirable to deal with them, they ought to be grouped under 

 definite suitable headings ; at present they are practically buried. 

 The selection of the paper on which the work has been printed is most 

 unfortunate : it is almost as soft as blotting paper, and when the paper 

 knife has been used it results in sorry tattered edges. We would 

 suggest that it would be well if the parts were issued with the edges 

 trimmed. 



The Heron of Castle Creek. Alfred W. Rees. London : 

 John Murray. Price 7s. 6d. 



As would be expected from the writer of laiito the Fisherman^ the 

 little sketches contained in this book are full of subtle charm and insight. 

 In our opinion the first and last are the most attractive, but all have the 

 glamour of the woods and fields and describe the author's wanderings, 

 chiefly in his native Wales. The bulk of the book has already appeared 

 in the form of articles in various publications ; gathered together they 

 form a delightful little book, lightly and gracefully written and full of 

 literary merit. The combination of a master of English and an adept 

 in field observation is one seldom met with ; Mr Rees evidently enjoyed 

 both of these in large measure. The book is intended for the general 

 reader rather than for the specialist in Natural History, and as such 

 will, we feel sure, be enjoyed by a large public. It is prefaced by a 

 Memoir of the author from the pen of his literary executor Mr J. K. 

 Hudson. 



