REVIEW. 881 



and female is given for one one, but only of the male of the other. We are 

 glad to see it noted under each species how the measurements of the bill are 

 taken, an essential point omitted in most books. Characters and allied 

 forms are then enumerated very briefly, noting some of the other species 

 and subspecies which are nearly related, how they difler and where they are 

 found. Field characters showing the distinctive points to look for in 

 the field are, we think, as innovation so far as British birds are concerned, 

 and a very excellent one, well done, and close and original observation 

 is evident in these paragraphs. Breeding habits then follows with a 

 short description of eggs, etc., measurements, months of laying whilst 

 the number of brood incubation and fledging periods are added where 

 known. We might suggest that as the measurements of in some cases 

 100 eggs has been accomplished the extremes of size might have been given 

 as well as the average. Food is next dealt with and these paragraphs 

 contain some useful information ; distribution at home and abroad and 

 migrations finish the account, these being concisely and accurately done. 



The beginner must be careful to remember that the keys are to be used 

 as guides and not for ultimate diagnosis for which he must refer to the 

 descriptions, otherwise he will find that if he has say Whiskered Tern 

 before him, the key of the orders will guide him to the Limicolca instead 

 of the Lari ; or if he is endeavouring to place a Eosy Pastor in its right 

 genus, according to the key of genera he will be guided to the BomhycilUdoi. 

 These mistakes in the keys together with confounding thigh with tibia 

 on p. 3 we think might easily have been avoided otherwise the keys seem 

 sound and no doubt will be very useful. We do not seem to have heard 

 before that the Raven is an autumn to spring immigrant in Scotland and 

 we wonder on what records this statement is based ; nor can we 

 credit that the Hooded crow ever arrives in the Eastern countries as earlj^ 

 as August 5th such records doubtless being referable to occasional birds 

 which have passed the summer there. 



The present part contains, besides numerous black and white diagrams, 

 a coloured plate of the juvenile plumages of some of the Finches, suffi- 

 ciently good for recognition and colored plates are promised for juve- 

 niles of all British breeding species (where different to adult). This will 

 supply a long felt want. We do not see any mention of the artists name. 

 The handbook is well printed on good paper and remarkably free from 

 misprints (though there seems to be one somewhere on p. 27, line 31, as we 

 can make no sense of the sentence). The information is sound, concise and 

 up to date simply but scientifically put and if the other parts are equally 

 good (and we are sure they will be) the work will be a most valuable book 

 of reference to the ornithologist and beginner alike. 



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