i9°7- Review. 157 



by great numbers busily pattering about in search of food." And the 

 frontispiece depicts the author crouched on the ooze, doubled up into 

 what appears to be a very uncomfortable attitude. Again, '' By lying 

 flat on my back with my eyelids apparently closed, 3-et sufficiently open 

 to allow of vision, I have allured Great Black-backed Gulls to approach 

 on the wing within a ridiculously close range, and the late Mr. E. 

 Williams informed me that b} 7 adopting this form of strategy he fre- 

 quently brought Ravens and Hooded Crows within thirty yards of his 

 head." Dr. Patten speaks with no uncertain voice in favour of observa- 

 tion compared with shooting. " Regarding the question of collecting 

 specimens, unnecessary destruction of bird-life must be protested against. 

 Far more is to be learned by patient and persevering observation, carried 

 on in adverse no less than in genial weather, in remote and difficult 

 places no less than on the silvery beach, over which one can travel for 

 miles without growing tired, than by yielding to an impetuous desire to 

 shoot every specimen which happens to come within range of the fowling 

 piece. The destruction of sea-birds, especially of Terns and Gulls for 

 millinery and other useless purposes, is in a marked degree brutal, and in 

 those pages dealing with the species generally victimised, I have not re- 

 frained from expressing an opinion on the subject. Happily in many 

 districts sea-birds and their eggs are now protected by law, and it is to be 

 hoped that this protection will be extended to other districts. The 

 Societies for the Protection of Wild Birds in both Great Britain and Ire- 

 land, are doing such excellent and energetic work in this direction that it 

 is needless to say more." These sentiments we heartily endorse. Before 

 leaving the Introduction we notice a curious slip on p. x., where the 

 terms scapulars, secondaries, primaries, and axillaries are referred to, 

 and "the positions of these groups of feathers are seen in Plate II.'' 

 This plate depicts a Snow Bunting in an attitude that does not show 7 the 

 axillaries at all. The addition of the words " the first three " would have 

 made matters right. Turning to the body of the book, each species is 

 dealt with in a systematic manner which much facilitates reference. 

 First, we have reference to the coloured figure in Gould, Dresser, and 

 Lilford, then a condensed account of its habits, and distribution in the 

 British Isles, followed by detailed descriptions of "Flight," "Food," 

 "Voice," and "Nest," then a short note 011 Geographical Distribution 

 ending with full " Descriptive characters" and "Average measurements." 

 From this it will be seen how thoroughly Dr. Patten has covered the 

 ground. Little more information could be given without making the 

 book unwieldy, and, speaking generally, no more in formation is neces- 

 sary. The only addition that suggests itself would be a description of 

 the down found lining the nests of the various ducks. This is so 

 important an aid to identification that we should naturally expect to find 

 full information about it in this excellent volume. 



Throughout the book there are constant references to the works of 

 Ussher and Warren, and Barrington, and the volumes of the Irish Naturalist 

 have evidently been carefully scanned and noted. Residing in Dublin 



