392 NATURAL SCIENCE. Nov., 



work on a rather more pretentious scale : we felt that neither the 

 Professor nor his colleagues were doing themselves justice. After 

 having made ourselves tolerably familiar with the first part, 

 however — the general scope and purpose of which, it will be 

 remembered, was set forth in these pages a few months since — 

 this feeling has, in many respects, given place to a sense of gratitude 

 for small mercies, for undoubtedly it is the best book of its kind 

 which has yet appeared, and we imagine that, not until the second 

 edition appears will there be a better. 



To attempt anything more than a very rapid survey of the part 

 before us would be to far exceed the space at our disposal, but it shall 

 be our endeavour to crowd as much information into that space as 

 possible. 



The first article of any importance is that on Geographical 

 Distribution, and when we say that it covers some 52 pages, it will be 

 seen that it is fairly exhaustive. We can bestow no further praise 

 upon it than to say that it is in every way worthy of comparison with 

 the excellent article on Extermination which has preceded it. 

 Conning its pages, we feel that the whole of this most difficult subject 

 has been so lucidly explained, that even those who take up this book 

 for the first time will have no difficulty in mastering it. 



The account of the Grebes interested us much. The figure of 

 the Great Crested Grebe conjured up a host of old and delightful 

 recollections of days spent, so to speak, in their company, in one of 

 their few remaining strongholds, the Norfolk Broads. We believe 

 that we are correct in stating that its feathers are no longer "much 

 in request for muffs and the trimmings of ladies' dresses," inasmuch 

 as the tide of fashion has turned in another direction. 



That the gizzard of this species, and Grebes in general, is 

 invariably filled with feathers from its breast, mixed with fish-bones, 

 is a fact that has long been known, yet, curiously enough, it has 

 escaped notice here. The serration along the back of the tarso- 

 metatarsus has also passed unnoticed, though this, it is true, is a point 

 of small importance. 



The articles on Humming-Bird, Hornbill, and Kiwi are brimful 

 of interest — especially the first-mentioned. The marvellous brilliancy 

 of the plumage, the extraordinary variety in size and ornamentation, 

 coupled with the Edenic life these birds are popularly supposed to 

 lead, have tended to obscure them in a haze of poetic glamour 

 shared, probably, by no other animal on earth. We imagine, there- 

 fore, that not a few will find it difficult to picture humming-birds 

 "dwelling in a world of almost constant hail, sleet, and rain," or 

 "flitting about the Fuchsias of Tierra del Fuego in a snow-storm." 

 There is surely good reason to fear that the recording angel will soon 

 have to inscribe the name of " Chrysolampis mosquitus " upon the 

 calendar of departed species, or, in other words, it will go to swell 

 the ranks of Birds recently exterminated, since " thousands of skins are 

 annually sent to Europe to be used in the manufacture of ornaments (!), 

 its rich ruby-and-topaz glow rendering it one of the most beautiful 

 objects imaginable." 



In speaking of the Manucode, Professor Newton says : " As 

 with members of the Paradiseidae generally, the nidification of the 

 Manucodes had been shrouded in mystery, until . . . the nest 

 and eggs of M. comrii were found in July, 1891 . . . ." This is correct 

 as far as this species is concerned, but the egg of Paradisea raggiana 

 was first described so long ago as 1883, by Mr. E. P. Ramsay, in the 





