S 62 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



author announces his intention of issuing a similar volume on the Tortncidae 



at an early date, and we wish him the success he certainly deserves. When 



this is complete the whole will form a monograph that should find a place in 



all reference libraries and on the shelf of all entomologists. 



C. H. O'D. 



The Peregrine Falcon at the Eyrie. By Francis Heatherly, F.R.C.S. 

 [Pp. 73, a frontispiece and 29 illustrations.] (London : Country Life, Ltd. 

 1913. Price 5s. net.) 



Apart from the fact that in England, at any rate, the peregrine falcon is the 

 largest bird of prey now left, the very name conjures up the age of chivalry when 

 the knight, falcon on wrist, rode forth to the chase. Though no longer the 

 friend of princes, a glance at the illustrations will suffice to show that the bird 

 has shed none of his regal bearing. 



The present book is the attractive record of the home life of a pair of birds 

 and is based on the observations made by the author and his friends at the 

 eyrie of a peregrine falcon during three successive breeding seasons. In the 

 third year the watching was done from a tiny shelter slung on the face of 

 the cliff within two or three yards of the nest and the watch continued in 

 relays without intermission for thirteen days and nights from the second day of 

 hatching. A peculiar interest is added to the narrative by the fact that the 

 roles of the two sexes are the reverse of that usually found in birds. It is 

 the tiercel that remains to take charge of the young while his mate the falcon 

 hunts for the food. In correlation with this it is to be noted that the 

 falcon is about one-third as large again as her spouse, to which fact he owes 

 his name. 



The whole book is delightful in its reading matter and in its " get up." 

 Both author and publisher deserve to be congratulated upon its production. 

 The plates are, on the whole, extremely good and a number of them have 

 underneath the light value, exposure, stop, etc., just the data that are required 

 if one desires to emulate the success achieved in them. In this connection too 

 the concluding chapter is useful, since it contains a frank account of the outfit and 

 gear employed by the author and his friends. 



To the naturalist it is an eloquent plea for the putting aside of the shot-gun 

 and blow-pipe and substituting for them the camera and the note-book. We 

 can heartily endorse the author's views on this matter as expressed in the 

 dedication — " This book is dedicated to all egg collectors in the hope that some 

 day they will realise that the shell is not the most important part of a bird's egg." 



C. H. O'D. 



MEDICINE 



Twelfth Annual Report of the Imperial Cancer Research Fund (1913— 1914), 

 under the direction of the Royal College of Physicians of London and the 

 Royal College of Surgeons of England. By E. F. Bashford and others. 



This Report begins with a criticism of alleged cancer " cures," although it points 

 out that fewer of these claims have been made in the past year. The action of 

 thiosinamin is included, and the error of the "distinguished German investigator" 

 is pointed out to him. It seems that the error is due to the fact that certain 

 strains of mouse tumours disappear spontaneously, and that these strains should 

 not be used when testing for therapeutic results. 



