5° 



pleasing birds require. Most of the Foreign Sparrows and so called Spar- 

 rows are really handsome birds though not gorgeously clad. As yet but 

 few of them have been bred in captivity, a fact which makes them specially 

 interesting to aviculturists. 



Erratum. The titles on plate containing the figures of Golden 

 Plover and Young Pewitt as printed should read Green Plover and Young 

 Peewit, the error occurred through the misreading of the small writing on 

 block, and we regret it passed unnoticed. 



IReviews ano Ifootices of IFlew Books. 



Last Hours with Nature. By Mrs. Euza Brightwen, F.Z.S., F.E.S. 

 Published by T. Fisher Unwjn, i, Adelphi Terrace, London, W.C. 

 2/6 net. 



Yet another book from the fruitful pen of this popular and versatile 

 author. It is written in her inimitable, interesting and lucid style, and 

 ■while it is, as are all her works, peerless as gift books to the young, it is 

 none the less entrancing to persons of riper years. Every page shows an 

 intimate acquaintance and even familiarity with the wild creatures of the 

 •earth and air that is attained to but by few; and the life histories of 

 creatures, plants, etc., dealt with in this her latest work, are told with that 

 freshness and charm that is only possessed by those who have made a 

 life-long study of the Creator's handiwork in hedge-row, garden, and field. 

 It is well illustrated, contains 220 pages of text and has for a frontispiece a 

 portrait of the author. It contains, life histories and anecdotes of Toads, 

 Badger, Nightingale, Robin, Blackcap, Whitethroat, Locust, Blue-bottle 

 Flies, Jumping Beans, numerous seedling trees and plants ; a chapter on 

 Nature Study, Diary of a Tour, and Some entries in a Naturalist's Diary. 



Perhaps the most interesting chapter to bird-lovers is the one entitled 

 .a " Trio of Vocalists" from which we extract the following : — 



" It is not often possible to study the habits of such birds as Nightingales, Black- 

 " caps and Whitethroats when they are perfectly at ease and therefore free to show their 

 "natural characteristics. As it happens I can do this, since I possess a perfectly tame 

 " specimen of each of these birds. It is one of my favourite amusements to let all three out 

 "of their cages, and whilst I am quietly writing I watch their behaviour towards each 

 " other. Thus it has come to pass that the shy English Nightingale, so seldom seen except 

 " perhaps in early summer, when we may chance to get a glimpse of the plain brown 

 " bird which is filling the air with sweet music, perched on a spray in some woody copse, 

 " is now my intimate friend, living with me hour by hour, calmly happy and content 

 "and taking mealworms from my hand as readily as does my long domesticated 

 " Whitethroat " Fairy." 



And so the record runs on to the end of the story. Equally 

 interesting is the following chapter on " A Fairy Story continued." The 



