72 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



information duly collated under various headings. There is a great deal 

 of original and interesting data relating to England, the early arrivals 

 of some species in spring being one of the outstanding features; but 

 almost all the Scottish notes have been already published elsewhere. 

 The autumn migration of 1912 receives its full share of notice. In the 

 introduction, attention is drawn to the unusual magnitude and importance 

 of the November movements, enormous immigrations being noticed 

 during the first three weeks of the month. Among the interesting items 

 abstracted from other publications, there are many records of uncommon 

 species. May we, however, urge once more upon the Committee the 

 importance of absolute accuracy when dealing with data such as they 

 have to handle. Among the Scottish records, quoted from published 

 material, there are again a good many inaccuracies, these being chiefly 

 errors in dates. One more report on the same lines is promised us, and 

 all ornithologists look forward with interest to the final volume in which 

 the results of the enquiry are to be summarised. Meanwhile there is 

 much to be learnt from the volume under notice, and we commend it to the 

 attention of all who are interested in ornithology. — E. V. B. and L. J. R. 



Insects Injurious to the Household and Annoying to Man. 

 By Glenn W. Herrick. New York : The Macmillan Company 

 1914. Price 7s. 6d. net. 



In this volume of 470 pages, the author has succeeded in producing 

 a most useful, accui-ate, and practical compendium on the various lowly 

 pests which annoy the housekeeper, either by acting as carriers of 

 disease, by contaminating or devouring his food supplies, by destroying 

 his books and furniture, or by infesting his own person. The book is written 

 in clear, non-technical language, and the practical measures recommended 

 are full and explicit, while the abundance of excellent illustrations will 

 enable the non-scientific reader to recognise with little difficulty the 

 numerous pests which trouble either himself or the members of his 

 family. At first sight one might imagine the work to be mainly useful to 

 our friends across the Atlantic, but on perusal it is astonishing to find 

 what a large proportion of the noxious insects of the States are really 

 introductions from Europe. The common house-fly, human flea, bed- 

 bug, the common and Australian cockroaches, meal-worm, clothes-moth, 

 larder beetle, cheese mite, head louse, and numerous others, may be 

 taken as examples to show how useful the book may be in our own 

 country. It may be read and understood without even a rudimentary 

 knowledge of entomology, and we have pleasure in recommending it to 

 our readers. 



