1907. Nichols.— 7%^ Ca?iadia?i Crane in Co. Cork. 211 



a distinct species from the smaller or northern form (G. cana- 

 densis). Blaauw in "A Monograph of the Cranes," (London, 

 1897), says that he cannot agree to this division, as after taking 

 measurements of the tarsi of a number of specimens of both 

 forms, he finds there is a regular graduation in size from the 

 smallest specimens (7 ins.) of G. canade?isis to the largest of 

 G. viexicana (io£ ins.). The Cork specimen is thus a small in- 

 dividual of the northern form. 



Blaauw, in his description of G. ea?iadensis, gives the colour 

 of the primaries as blackish with white shafts ; in the Cork 

 specimen the shafts are blackish with the exception of their 

 bases, which are white. Possibly the bird had not quite 

 reached maturity ; a condition to which the fact of some of the 

 feathers of the back being more or less washed with brown 

 would seem to point. The crown of the head, however, is de- 

 void of feathers as in adult birds, and the peculiar way in 

 which the naked part of the crown extends backwards to meet 

 a pointed projection of the feathers of the occiput is shown in 

 the accompanying figure. 



Dublin Museum. 



REVIEWS. 



THE FAUNA OF EUROPE. 



European Animals 1 their Geological History and Geographical 

 Distribution. By R. F. Scharff, Ph.D., B.Sc, Swiney Lecturer on 

 Geology. Pp. xiv. + 258. Frontispiece and 70 text figures. 

 London ; Archibald Constable and Co., Ltd., 1907. Price js. 6d. net. 



This book, eagerly expected by students of geographical distribution, 

 follows closely the course of lectures delivered at South Kensington last 

 autumn by Dr. Scharff under the Swiney trust. The appointment of a 

 zoologist for this honourable task indicates the recognition of animal 

 distribution as an important guide to geological history. Eight years 

 have passed since the publication of Dr. Scharff s ''History of the 

 European Fauna" (see /. Nat., vol. viii., 1899, p. 239), and the first desire of 

 the reader in turning to the present volume will be to find if recent 

 studies have modified Dr. ScharfFs views as set forth in 1899. It will 

 be seen that the main positions of his former works are still firmly 

 held. Many fresh facts, gathered from his own observations and re- 

 flections and from a marvellously wide survey of old and new literature, 



A 2 



