REVIEWS. 9 



history of a country ; to their value the pages of Mr. Thompson's " Birds 

 of Ireland" bear ample testimony, and the skilful manner in which he has 

 moulded into shape the observations of others, joined to his own deep prac- 

 tical experience as a naturalist, will long render his work a pleasing stan- 

 dard of reference, and allure many to tread the paths it has so ably marked 

 out. With all its advantages, however, it still left unsupplied the want of 

 a cheap, popular hand-book, suited to the requirements of the many. To 

 supply this deficiency is the aim of Mr. Watters, in his " History of Irish 

 Birds ;" and we feel confident that it will be gladly hailed by many who, 

 from its size and expense, were prevented purchasing Mr. Thompson's work. 

 We own that it is no easy task to prepare, in a popular form, any great 

 amount of scientific details, and much of this is necessarily absent from 

 Mr. Watters's — omitted, as we leam, " for the better economy of space, and 

 consequent saving of expense." 



The volume itself contains the result of the observations of the author, 

 who is no mere closet naturalist, and contains an abstract of the history 

 and habits of two hundred and sixty-one species of birds already observed. 

 It is more than probable that the number already recorded falls short of 

 the truth ; and we sincerely hope that the present little volume may be the 

 means of infusing a spirit of still further research among our out-of-door 

 naturalists — a tribe, we hope, rapidly increasing both in number and powers 

 of observation. As a specimen of Mr. Watters's style and powers of de- 

 scription, we append the following history of the curlew (Numenius ar- 

 quata) : — 



" The curlew is one of our most common and widely- distributed birds frequent- 

 ing the sea-shore in large flocks, and feeding on marine insects, mollusca, Crus- 

 tacea, and larvae, for which it probes the soft, muddy ooze with its long and admi- 

 rably-adapted bill. 



" In Dublin Bay the immense flocks of curlew afford considerable attraction to 

 the shore sportsman, both from their changeful evolutions when on the wing, and 

 the fine, bold, spirited call-note of the species. Watchful and vigilant, we see no 

 other shore bird exhibit the same suspicious habits as the curlew, and, what annoys 

 the sportsman is, that, not content with its own safety, it extends its protection over 

 all the flocks feeding in its vicinity. Possessing the loudest call-note of all our 

 grallatorial birds, no flock is so adventurous as to remain feeding after the shrill, 

 startling whaup of the curlew has echoed along the shore. 



" Of great interest in its habits, the curlew enlivens and makes cheerful whatever 

 coast it frequents, no matter how desolate may have been its previous appearance. 

 Thus do we see it in our own bay during autumn and winter, occurring along the 

 entire range from Clontarf to Malahide, in flocks of the greatest abundance. Feed- 

 ing together, they present the most diversified appearance in their attitudes upon the 

 mud or ooze. But yet so easily alarmed are they, that the sportive leap of a wanton 

 fish, the rustling of a leaf blown past upon the strand, or, when feeding during 

 night-time, the snapping of a gun in their neighbourhood, serves to alarm the en- 

 tire flock, which at once rises with that peculiar lightness and ease so eminently 

 Eossessed by the curlew, and wing rapidly their flight from the way of danger, each 

 ird uttering the loud prolonged » courlieu,' or the harsh and guttural ' whaup,' 

 so indicative of danger, and which is heard so beautifully modulated both by sound 



