346 The Field Naturalist" s Quarterly November 



The sixteen full-page illustrations are by the Duchess of Bedford, 

 Lord Delamere, Hon. Walter Rothschild, J. Wolf, etc. By the courtesy 

 of the publishers, we are enabled to produce one of these, which forms 

 the frontispiece of the book, showing the head and fore-limbs of the 

 aye-aye of Madagascar. The extraordinary features of this creature 

 are well shown, and it is easy to see that its former name (Sciurus) was 

 not without significance, for it is very squirrel-like in some characters. 

 But the most striking point about it is the very curious third digit of 

 the hand, which is very thin and elongated. As in other lemurs, the 

 thumb is opposable, and has a flat nail. The other digits have claws, 

 as have the toes, with the exception of the big toe, which is flat-nailed 

 like the thumb. The teeth of the aye-aye are shaped like those of 

 rodents, and there are no canines. There is a single pair of incisors in 

 each jaw. The name — Aye-aye — is a cry of surprise of the inhabitants 

 of Madagascar, so it is said by Sonnerat, who discovered this animal. 

 Its habits are nocturnal and arboreal. 



The Natural History of Animals. By Professor J. R. Ainsworth 

 Davis. London : Gresham Publishing Co. Half-vols. iii. and iv. 

 Price 7s. each. 



The third and fourth half-volumes of this series are now to hand, 

 and Professor Davis, having completed the purely morphological part 

 of his task, as well as the systematic portion, comes to the — from the 

 field naturalist point of view — more interesting questions which are 

 concerned with the how and the why of animal existence. 



Volume ii. deals with "The Food of Animals," the means by which 

 animals obtain the necessary materials wherewith to build up and 

 repair the tissues of their bodies. The flesh-eating, plant-eating, and 

 omnivorous animals are considered successively, with special reference 

 to the manner in which they are modified as the result of their special 

 proclivities in the matter of food. Following this, a number of the 

 devices and structural modifications which enable animals to escape 

 from those predaceous forms which have developed a gastronomic 

 liking for them, are described. 



Professor Davis is here at his best, and it is at this part of his task, 

 if we mistake not, that his work will attract the greatest attention and 

 interest from his readers. We are not aware that the subject has been 

 treated quite in the same way before ; but we are sure that it is a good 

 way, and one that will appeal to students of animal life. 



In the group of flesh-eating mammals a large number of typical 

 mammals are discussed from the food standpoint, beginning with the 

 cat family and ending with the Cetacea. In the former, the feet, the 

 teeth, the skull, the protective colouration, and special habits, are all 

 dealt with, and their interdependence shown. In the latter, the whole 

 group, the manner in which these mammals have been specialised for 

 aquatic life, the structural adaptations in body, tail, and limbs, as well 

 as in teeth, lungs, and skin, all are simply and clearly explained, and 

 well illustrated. 



