iSooft jBtetD0 anti 3^et)ieto0 



A Naturalist on Desert Islands. By 

 Percy A. Lowe. Witherby & Co., 326 

 High Holborn, London. x!i+ 300 

 pages; 3 maps, 32 plates. 



This is an admirable book. Its author 

 is evidently well equipped for the work 

 in hand, and it seems to us that he has 

 succeeded to an exceptional degree in 

 conveying to his readers no small measure 

 of the keen enjoyment with which he 

 explored desert islands, and, at the same 

 time, he has presented attractively the 

 more salient facts in regard to their 

 formation, and the probable origin of their 

 plant and animal life. The islands in 

 question are Swan, Blanquilla, and the 

 Hermanos, all in the Caribbean Sea. Mr. 

 Lowe visited them while cruising in the 

 West Indies as the guest of Sir Frederic 

 Johnstone on the yacht 'Zenaida,' and 

 his observations make not alone most 

 interesting reading, but a truly valuable 

 contribution to the study of island life. 

 Mr. Lowe writes as a naturalist rather 

 than as an ornithologist, but it is obvious 

 that birds have the strongest claim on his 

 attention, and his book, therefore, will 

 appeal particularly to ornithologists . 



We are not surprised that Mr. Lowe 

 should find it difficult to account for the 

 alleged breeding of Dendroica tigrina in 

 Jamaica, and Setophaga ruticilla in Domin- 

 ica, for it is quite improbable that either 

 record is correct. 



Mr. Lowe's descriptions of the plumage 

 of the Man-o'-war-bird seem to require 

 revision, and we believe he will find that 

 the young birds of both sexes have the 

 head and neck white, while the adult 

 female has the head black with the 

 breast and sides white. Consequently, 

 the photograph facing page 214 is that 

 of a young, not an "old" female, while an 

 adult female is shown in the plate facing 

 page 211. 



We trust that Mr. Lowe will continue 

 his natural history explorations. He has 

 far too facile a pen to warrant its going 

 out of commission. — F. M. C. 



The Natural History and Antiqui- 

 ties OF Selborne in the County of 

 Southampton. By Gilbert White. 

 With illustrations in color by George 

 Edward Collins, R. B. A., Macmillan & 

 Co. 1911. Roy. 8vo.,x + 476 pp.; 24plls. 



Mr. Collins has taken characteristic bits 

 from the Gilbert White country as sub- 

 jects for his paintings, and it is eminently 

 appropriate that they should be pub- 

 lished with the text which they so admir- 

 ably illustrate. White's work is not to be 

 annotated or edited. He told his own 

 story too plainly and directly to require 

 the services of a commentator, but we 

 may accept Mr. Collins' charming sketches 

 as both appropriate and desirable accom- 

 paniments to the latest edition of this 

 classic work. Those of the landscape 

 convey most pleasing impressions of the 

 pastoral scenery in which Selborne is so 

 fortunately placed, while those of the 

 birds show, it seems to us, a rare gift of 

 placing figures ot birds, of which any 

 ornithologist would approve, in a setting 

 such as only a true artist would select. 

 When one adds that these sketches are 

 evidently well reproduced, it is clear that 

 we have here an unusually attractive 

 book.— F. M. C. 



The Home-Life of the Osprey. Photo- 

 graphed and Described by Clinton G. 

 Abbott. With some photographs by 

 Howard H. Cleaves. Witherby & Co., 326 

 High Holborn, London, W. C, 1911. Sm. 

 4to. 54 pages, 3 2 plates. Forsaleby Bren- 

 tano and by Forest and Stream Pub. Co. 



This, the third volume in the Witherby 

 Home-Life Series, is of particular interest 

 to American readers, since it not only 

 treats of an American species but is based 

 on studies made in America. After a 

 residence in Great Britain, where the 

 Ospre}- is on the verge of extinction, Mr. 

 Abbott expresses his surprise at the 

 abundance and familiarity of this fine 

 bird near New York City; and when it 

 is remembered that no "economic" 

 argument can be advanced for its pro- 

 tection, it is indeed gratifying to realize 



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