140 The Irjsh Nahualist. July, 1910. 



Marten in Co. Gal way. 

 As the Marten appears to be very rarely met with in the western 

 portion of Co. Galway it might be well to record the lollowing occur- 

 rence of one of these animals in that district :- On the 17th April, 1908, 

 while in Connemara, I was shewn the fresh skin of a Marten which had 

 been killed the day previous. The particular spot where this specimen 

 was taken is well wooded, but the surrounding country, especially on the 

 eastern side, is practically devoid of trees, and for miles consists princi- 

 pally of bare mountains and peat bogs characteristic of that part of 

 Ireland. It is quite evident that this Marten, or its predecessors, must 

 have crossed, not only bare, but also very wet countr}- before reaching 

 the wooded part where it was killed. 



Geo. R. Humphreys. 

 Dublin. 



REVIEW. 



NATURE STUDY. 

 The Aims and Methods of Nature Study : A Guide for Teachers. 



By John Rennie, D.Sc, F.R.S.E. With an Introduction by Prof. J. 



Arthur Thomson. London: W. B. Clive, 1910. Pp. xvi. +352. 17S 



figures. Price 35. (id. 

 One result of the present praiseworthy movement in support of what 

 is called " Nature-Study," has been to flood the market with books — 

 mostly compilations, and by no means praiseworthy, except for their 

 photographic illustrations. The volume before us is a delightful con- 

 trast to books of such a type. It is illustrated by line-drawings, often 

 diagrammatic and sometimes rough, but usually workmanlike and 

 stimulating, to agree with the letterpress. Dr. Rennie is a keen observer, 

 directing attention to important features in the bionomics of animals 

 and plants; he is also a trained naturalist, who introduces enough of 

 structural fact to explain what is learned through observation in the 

 field. The book is addressed to teachers — a class of readers who will 

 surely be attracted by the marshalling of the facts, and the fine literary 

 setting in which they are presented. 



The subjects chosen by Dr. Rennie for lessons cover a wide range. 



The erosion of river-valleys, snow-crystals, common flowering plants, 



insect transformations, snails, frogs and tadpoles, birds and mammals. 



all furnish material for the teacher, who is guided how to make the best 



use of the objects for the benefit of his scholars. In an opening chapter 



the author holds up high " ideals of nature study," and Prof. Thomson 



in his too-short Introduction, emphasises what these ideals should be. 



The wise teacher will select from the wide choice of subjects offered to 



him, what will best suit his own class, and if he catches Dr. Rennie's 



spirit, he will not present the lesson to his class exactly as he gets it by 



help ot the printed page. He will become, in his own measure, one who 



has gone direct to Nature, and who can lead his pupils to the same great 



source. 



G. H. C. 



