1903- Shaw. — The Rccoi^d of a Robin Family. 241 



wide open beak. She rammed the loaf she had procured down 

 its throat ; the piece was far too big, and the small bird in 

 great disgust immediately spat it out. The hen showed her 

 amazement and wrath at this proceeding quite plainly. She 

 stuck her tail up very stiffly and fluttered about, but finall}^ 

 she went off and returned with two small crumbs, which she 

 presented to her captious offspring, to its evident satisfaction. 

 That day, the loth of June, the dear little family disappeared. 

 We found it was useless picking the babies up and replacing 

 them in their nest ; they had got past that stage of their 

 existence and were determined to go out into the world. By 

 the morning of the nth they had all gone, and we must only 

 hope they reached the bushes outside in safety, and are now 

 enjoying life to their hearts' content. 



Bushy Park, Terenure, Co. Dublin. 



REVIEWS. 



ROUND THE YEAR. 



Country Rambles : being a Field NaturaHst's and Country Lover's 

 Note Book for a Year. By W. P^RCIVAI, Weste;i,i,. Pp. xvi. + 312 

 + xxxvi. London : Henry J. Drane, 1903. loj. 6</. 

 Mr. Westell, already known to us as the author of an interesting illus- 

 trated brochure on the behaviour of the young Cuckoo, makes a more 

 elaborate venture in " Country Rambles." This is a collection of 

 natural history notes in the style of a diary. While full of interesting 

 observations, the book is spun out to over 300 pages by the introduction 

 of much matter of which we really fail to see the useful purpose — long 

 unclassified lists of common plants observed in bloom at periods when 

 everyone knows they are in bloom ; lists of birds seen, birds which are 

 to be seen in every parish; and pure trivialities, such as — "June 3. 

 Beautiful day, brilliant sunshine, nicebreezes. It is leafy June now, and 

 the country will never look better than at present." There is an occa- 

 sional looseness of language too, as in the reference to "Green, and 

 other Flies," and the "seed-pods of the Sycamore." The illustrations 

 are numerous and delightful ; and were the contents of the book 

 evaporated down to one-half their present bulk (with a corresponding 

 reduction in the price), we would cordially recommend Mr. Westell's 

 diary as an incentive to the beginner in field natural history. 



R. Li,. P. 



