'r6 The Irish Naturalist. Januarj, 



THE SCIENTIFie PROTECTION OF BIRDS. 



How to Attract and Protect Wild Birds. By Martin Hiese- 

 MANN. Trrnslated by l{ninia S. Buchheim. Pp. 86. With many 

 illustrations. London : Witherby & Co,, 190S. Price \s. 6iL net.. 



This is the most elaborate treatise that'has yet appeared upon nesting- 

 boxes for birds, and it embodies the result of many years' experience of 

 that ^Yell-knovvn German authority, the Baron von Berlepsch, whose ex- 

 perimental station at vSeebach promises to be the training-ground for 

 future avi-culturalists. The Baron has discovered that the usual nesting- 

 boxes, sold so largely on the Continent, are made on a wrong plan, and 

 do not attract birds at all. After years of experiment he has now de- 

 vised a nesting-box which is so natural in shape and size that on the 

 average 50 percent, of his boxes are occupied at once. But the Baron 

 does more ; he has worked out a scheme for growing shelter-woods and 

 making undergrowths for those birds that do not nest m holes, and he 

 has been as successful with them as with his boxes. In addition, there 

 are described many ingenious methods for feeding birds in winter, so 

 that there is no waste in food, and it is always accessible. The Royal 

 Society for the Protection of Birds, 3, Hanover-square, London. W., 

 sells the Berlepsch nesting-boxes, which are quite cheap (from i^. 6d. 

 each, or is. each for 20 or more). We wish this book a large 

 circulation. 



R. P. 



FOR BIRD LOVERS. 



British Birds' Nests: How. Where and When to find and identify 

 them. By Richard Kearton, F.Z.S. Illustrated from photo- 

 graphs by Cherry and Richard Kearton. New Edition. London : 

 Cassell and Co., 190S. Pp. 520. Price, 21s. net. 



We have received from the publishers the new edition of Mr. Kearton's 

 well-known and valuable work, which they have issued in sixteen fort- 

 nightly parts at is. net each. The result is a volume that must prove a 

 source of delight to all naturalists, and especially to lovers of birds. 

 The species are arranged alphabetically under their P^nglish name, so 

 that the work is somewhat of a dictionary. We cannot but think that a 

 systematic arrangement would have been quite as convenient and of 

 mere educational value; the "order" and family aie, however, men- 

 tioned in each case. Under every species Mr. Kearton gives first a 

 short descripticu of the parent birds; then an account of the situation 

 and locality of the nest and the materials of which it is made ; then a 

 description of the eggs, and finally some general information which 

 includes a list of local names. The numerous beautilul photographs 

 have been excellently reproduced, and the coloured plates of eggs are 



admirable. 



G. H. C. 



