88 Recent OrnitJioloyicnl Pub/icafioii^. 



that, rc-iiiifdcd as game, it ceases to be ' sport' to destroy tlieni, 

 and theii' ci'ies at eady morning are so tumultuous and incessant 

 as to banish sleep and amount to an actual inconvenience. 

 Their flesh is excellent when served up hot ; but when cold, it 

 contracts a reddish and disagreeable tinge, and is said to be in- 

 digestible. 



*' But of all, the most astonishing in point of multitude, as 

 well as the most iuteresting from their endless variety, are the 

 myriads of aquatic birds and Waders which frequent the lakes 

 and watercourses, especially those along the coast near Baltica- 

 loa, between the mainland and the sand-formations of the shore, 

 and those which resort to the innumerable salt-marshes and 

 lagoons to the south of Trincomalie. These, and the profusion 

 of perching-birds — flycatchers, finches, and thrushes — which 

 appear in the open country, aff'ord suflicient quarry for the rap- 

 torial and predatory species — eagles, hawks, and falcons — whose 

 daring sweeps and effortless undulations are striking objects in 

 a cloudless sky/' 



Messrs. Freeman and Salvin's 'Falconry'* does not perhaps 

 come strictly within the definition of an Ornithological work ; 

 but we are sure that many of our readers will be glad to have 

 their attention called to it. We were not aware that cormorant 

 fishing had been successfully revived in these latter days as well 

 as hawking ! 



We do not piesume to enter here upon a criticism of Mr. 

 Darwin's learned Essay 'On the Origin of Speciest;' but we 

 mention it as a book which must be read with pleasure by every 

 naturalist, whether he may participate in the author's views or 

 not, as a most valuable and interesting contribution to our 

 knowledge of an important but difficult and generally avoided 

 subject. One observation, however, we beg leave to offer, 

 namely that, should Mr. Darwin's views be well founded, it by 



* Falconry, its Claims, History, and Practice. By G. E. Freeman and 

 F. II. Salvin. To which are added, Remarks on Training the Otter and 

 the Cormorant. London, 1869, 1 vol. Svo. 



t On the Origin of Species by means of Natural Selection. By Charles 

 Darwin, M.A., &c. London, 1H,5!), 1 vol. 



