76 The Field Naturalist 's Quarterly Feb. 



properly belong to a promised volume of nature essays, the appearance 

 of which we eagerly anticipate. One of these chapters we have the 

 privilege of publishing as an article in this issue, that entitled " How the 

 Animals Die." 



We are glad to have seen the welcome accorded to this book by the 

 general press in this country, and we hasten to add our meed of praise 

 on behalf of field-naturalist readers, to whom it will prove a delightful 

 possession. 



The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne. By 

 Gilbert White. Edited by L. C. Miall and W. Warde Fowler. 

 London : Methuen. Price 6s. 

 Another excellent edition of the famous work of Gilbert White. The 

 whole of the original edition of 1789 is here reproduced except the 

 Appendix of Latin charters and deeds. The Observations on various 

 parts of nature, extracted from White's diaries by Dr Aikin, are in- 

 cluded, but it has not been thought worth while to add the Naturalist's 

 Calendar which Dr Aikin compiled. Gilbert White's spelling and 

 punctuation are scrupulously retained, except that his few errata and 

 misprints are rectified, notice being given of all the important correc- 

 tions. His original notes are all reprinted. In addition there are 

 copious notes by the editors, all those on the birds being by Mr Warde 

 Fowler. White's index has been augmented by the editors, the whole 

 index to this edition being now extremely good. The introduction of 36 

 pages by the editors deals with the author's life and history, his friends 

 and correspondents, the natural aspects of the Selborne locality, the 

 history of the book, the author's view of bird migration, and such ex- 

 planatory topics. The feature of the edition is the profusion of excellent 

 editorial notes, and the extension of these to the Antiquities. The 

 volume is not illustrated. The other edition noticed in this issue is 

 illustrated, and omits the Antiquities. In a footnote on p. 42 of this 

 edition the editors state that the Green Lizard {Lacerta viridis) is 

 included among the reptiles "now known as British." Eight pages 

 later they state that it has not been found " in Great Britain or Ireland." 

 Neither of these notes is quite correct. The Green Lizard is not 

 indigenous to Great Britain, though it has not infrequently been found, 

 such captures undoubtedly being escapes. But in the division of this 

 country into Biological Provinces, which is now recommended by 

 authorities on our fauna, the Channel Isles are included as a Province, 

 and in this sense the Green Lizard is British. But until this method of 

 describing the distribution of our animals is well understood it should 

 always be made clear that the inclusion of the species named is upon 

 this ground only. Doubtless some of the lizards mentioned by Gilbert 

 White as Green Lizards were of the Sand Lizard species, Lacerta 

 agilis. 



As we have said, the notes in this edition which are appended to the 

 "Antiquities " portion are particularly good, and we have no doubt that 

 the book adds one more to the already large number of editions which 

 will be readily welcomed. 



