EDITORIAL 75 



than purely zoological subjects, but an exception may be 

 made in the case of a charming volume from the pen of our 

 esteemed contributor, Sir Herbert Maxwell. The publishers, 

 Messrs James Maclehose & Sons, of Glasgow, recently 

 favoured us with a copy of the work, which bears for title 

 Trees: a Woodland Notebook. We have perused the book with 

 much interest and no little profit, and those who have any 

 acquaintance with the elegant style of the author will realise 

 the force of our dictum when we assure them that Sir Herbert 

 is here at his best. In a series of short essays (thirty-four in 

 number) the principal species of trees grown in our parks 

 and woodlands, either for ornamental purposes or for the 

 sake of their timber, are discussed historically, economically, 

 and from the standpoint of ornament ; while not the least 

 interesting portions of the book are those which deal 

 with the Gaelic or Anglo-Saxon names of the trees, and 

 the place-names derived from them. The origin of " Nairn " 

 from ainhuinn-fhearn, meaning " alder-river " ; " Kingussie " 

 from '^ cinn giuthasaich" "at the end or head of the pine 

 wood " ; the explanation of the apparent misnomer of " May 

 blossom" for a tree which seldom flowers till June — the 

 name being originally justifiable but now rendered less 

 suitable owing to a change in the calendar, and not in the 

 flowering season ; and the legend connected with the origin 

 of the purple beech, may be selected as examples of the 

 fascinating subjects dealt with in this delightful volume. 

 Northern readers will also learn with pleasure from its pages 

 where many notable specimens of the trees are to be found 

 in Scotland, and no doubt many enjoyable excursions will 

 be made in consequence. The photographs and coloured 

 plates illustrating the essays are in every way excellent, 

 among the best being the Sycamore, the flowers of Robinia, 

 and the Scots Pine Wood, on pp. 56, 150, and 162 respect- 

 ively. 



The Paisley Naturalists' Society has recently issued Vol. 

 n. of its Transactions, for a copy of which we are indebted 

 to the editor, the Rev. Charles A. Hall, The volume bears 

 pleasing evidence of the activity of its members, and contains 

 carefully compiled lists of the Mammals, Birds, Reptiles, 



