i6o 



more or less emaciated, and that in any case when 

 death occurs decomposition sets in early and pro- 

 gresses rapidly. The blood becomes rapidly disin- 

 tegrated, the blood corpuscles breaking up, and the 

 colouring matter being set free. This change in the 

 blood is often found to have been very pronounced 

 before death, as will be presently seen. 



I have previously alluded to the danger of 

 mistaking any of the stages of putrefaction for 

 septicaemia. I must again definitely and emphati- 

 cally warn my readers that taken by itself the fact of 

 even early putrefaction does not warrant a diagnosis 

 of septicaemia in a bird on mere naked eye obser- 

 vation. Even with the aid of a microscope a most 

 careful examination is necessary, combined with an 

 equally careful weighing of all the conditions of the 

 case. And if putrefaction is at all advanced correct 

 diagnosis is impossible. 



(7b be C071 tinned). 



IReviewe. 



Birds 171 their Seasons, by J. A. Oiveii. George 

 Routledge &> Sons, Limited. 2/6 net. It is a novel 

 arrangement of the subject to divide the British 

 species into four parts and label them respectively 

 " Birds in Spring," " Birds in Summer," " Birds in 

 Autumn," and " Birds in Winter." We must say, 

 however, that the plan seems to us to have nothing 

 but novelty to recommend it. Mr. Owen is a pleasant 

 writer, and this book forms a very readable, though 

 scrappy, popular handbook of British birds — suitable 

 to put into the hands of a child with a taste for 

 natural history. We are far from meaning to suggest, 

 however, that the book is only adapted for children. 



There are twelve coloured plates, each figuring 



