an original work. Clear!}' and attractively written, with 

 the subject carefully and scientificall}' arranged, it is 

 difficult to estimate the book too highh'. It was for 

 many years far and away the best work on the subject 

 in the English language — and although now somewhat 

 out of date, and superseded as to certain groups of birds 

 by later and more exhaustive works, it still remains one 

 of the most reliable and practical of ''all round" guides. 



Mr. Wiener begins with an excellent chapter on 

 " General Management of Foreign Birds." We have, of 

 course, learnt a good deal in the last 23 years, and if he 

 were to re-write the chapter he would doubtless alter it 

 considerably — nevertheless beginners will be the better 

 for reading it carefully. He then proceeds to treat of 

 various species seriatim — adopting the classification and 

 nomenclature of the Zoological Society of London, and 

 not that of the British ]\Iuseuni which is now generally 

 preferred by aviculturists. 



The space devoted to soft-food birds is certainly 

 meagre. The Blue Robin, the Mocking Bird, the Pekin 

 Robin, the Chinese Jay Thrush, six species of BulbuLs, 

 and three Tanagers, exhaust the list. I am forgetting, 

 however, that there is also a chapter on Starlings, 

 wherein some ten species are described — this chapter 

 being, oddly enough, separated from those on the other 

 soft bills by the " small seed eaters." 



These " small seed-eaters " were certainly Mr. 

 Wiener's forte. All the species commonly imported 

 20 years ago are fully and adequately dealt with, as well 

 as some birds which were then, and still are, decidedh- 

 rare. 



I imagine that INIr. Wiener was pressed for space, 

 and had to unduly compress his account of the Parrots 

 and Parrakeets — at any rate, this important family are 

 dismissed in 19 pages. Some 40 species are touched 

 upon, but this is certainly the weakest part of the 

 book. 



