66 THE LIBRARY TABLE. 



not to be found in anything like so clear and ample a form in any other work ; 

 and he would have been fully justified in making such a claim. In this 

 respect, indeed, his book is practically exhaustive. 



The volume consists of an " Introduction," two " Parts," and a 

 " Summary." 



In the introduction we have an explanation of the scheme of the book ; 

 a general survey of the subject, including an examination of the claims of 

 certain casually-occurring species to a place on the British list ; a catalogue of 

 the more important County or other local Avifaunas which have appeared since 

 1866, when Mr. Harting's well-known Binis 0/ Middlesex appeared ; some sensible 

 remarks upon the much-debated subjects of classification and nomenclature, 

 in the course of which Mr. Harting opposes (we are glad to see) the blind 

 application of the generally-useful " priority " law; a brief " consideration of 

 " the terms employed to designate the various groups of birds which are 

 "placed in Parts I. and II."; and, finally, an acknowledgment of help 

 received, from which it appears that Prof. A. Newton, Mr. Howard Saunders, 

 and Mr. J. A. Harvie-Brown have been good enough to read through the 

 proofs. No author could desire more competent help. 



It is interesting to note that our author groups British birds as 

 follows : — 



(i) Residents .. .. .. 130 



(2) Periodical Migrants . . . . 100 



(3) Annual Visitants .. .. 32 



(4) Rare and Accidental Visitors . . 167 



Total . . . . . . 429 



Part I. of Mr. Harting's Handbook treats of "British Birds properly so- 

 called" — those, that is, included in the first three of the four "groups" 

 mentioned above. Under each species, four dimensions or measurements 

 are given — the total length, the length of bill, the length of wing, and the 

 length of tarsus. Then follows information as to the status of the bird in 

 Britain — its abundance, distribution, the time or times of its appearance, 

 if not resident, and so forth. Frequently, information is added on other 

 points — some of them, one cannot help thinking, somewhat unnecessary in a 

 "Handbook" of the kind, though always interesting. To the working 

 ornithologist, a very valuable feature of Part I. is found in the large number 

 of references Mr. Harting gives to discussions of, or articles on, interesting 

 ornithological points which have appeared in scientific journals. In these 

 references, one sees Mr. Harting's almost-unrivalled knowledge of the 

 literature of British ornithology. 



Part n. deals with the '■ Rare and Accidental Visitants." Here, again, 

 we have, under each species, the same four dimensions or measurements, for 

 purposes of identification; together with a brief reference to the region each 

 species inhabits, and a few critical remarks on its occurrences in Britain. The 

 chief feature, however, of Part II. is its lists of occurrences, given under 

 e ich species, with references to published authorities for each occurrence. 

 These li-.ts are, in style, the same as those which appeared in the well-known 

 lirst edition ; but they are, of course, amplified and brought up to date. They 



