1903 The Field Naturalist* s Library 77 



The Natural History of Selborne. By Gilbert White. (With 

 Notes by R. Kearton, F.Z.S., and 123 Illustrations from Photo- 

 graphs by Cherry and Richard Kearton.) London : Cassell & Co. 

 Price 6s. 

 The field naturalist — if there be one — who has still to add 'The 

 Natural History of Selborne' to his library cannot complain of lack of 

 choice as to the edition he may obtain. To the eighty odd already in 

 existence, two more are to hand, both good in different ways. The 

 feature of the edition now under notice is of course the fact that it is pro- 

 fusely illustrated by the Kearton Brothers, who have clone so much in 

 recent years to bring animal and nature illustration to the perfection we 

 now find. They have here done a great service to all lovers of Gilbert 

 White, and have evidently made themselves very familiar with all the 

 scenes he loved to write about. The footnotes added by Mr R. Kearton 

 are nearly all by way of confirmation of statements by the author, from 

 the editor's own experience ; others are explanatory, a few corrective of 

 mistakes. They show all the freshness of first-hand observation which 

 we look for from Mr Kearton. Mr Kearton has omitted the Antiquities 

 from this edition, which we think was as well : it is convenient to have 

 a well - illustrated edition dealing with the Natural History alone. 

 Numerous other editions supply the antiquarian's want. The book is 

 sure to be a very popular edition of the old classic. 



The Field Naturalist's Handbook. By the late Rev. J. G. Wood 

 and the Rev. Theodore Wood. London : Cassell & Co. Sixth 

 Edition. Price 2s. 6d. 



The authors of this valuable handbook assume that the three favourite 

 branches of zoology with field naturalists are those of Entomology, 

 Botany, and Ornithology, and they are doubtless perfectly right. In 

 addition to this fact, however, there is another very good reason for 

 restricting a book on this plan to the departments named, and that is 

 that our knowledge of indigenous mammals, fish, and possibly reptiles 

 and amphibians, is not sufficiently perfect to admit of the cut-and-dried 

 treatment necessary here. Still we cannot help regretting that no 

 mention of any kind is made of these latter branches ; it is precisely in 

 those subjects that there is so much room for observation. This work 

 limits itself to well - ascertained facts, and arranges those facts in a 

 manner which indicates at once to the field naturalist when and where 

 he may observe them for himself, and in so doing renders a most useful 

 service to the member of a field club. 



The plan of the book is simple. Each month of the year is taken 

 successively, and the reader will find a complete catalogue of all the 

 Butterflies and Moths — the Lepidoptera only are dealt with in Entom- 

 ology—which appear in that month, together with the plants that are in 

 flower and their localities. Also there are notes of the egg, caterpillar, 

 and pupa of each insect, so that each insect life-history is gathered at a 

 glance. The food-plants of caterpillars are added, so that those wishing 

 to rear caterpillars will find their requirements in the botanical part of 

 the book. 



