Book Notices and Reviews, 105 



single death sinrc they arrived, and a pait put into the out-door aviary are 

 in perfect health. All a re fit to put on the show-bench straight away, 



and they all look livers. 



R. ARNOLD. 



Streatlijin S.W, 3 •■4 • 16. 



Book Notices and Reviews. 



A B(R') Caii:xI)ar rni; XoRTurRV India. By D. Dewar, I.CS:, F,Z,S : ; 

 London : Thacker and Co., Creed Lane, E.C. 6s. 



Yet another book from the prolific pen of Mr. Dewar, whose writ- 

 in.gs arc well known to our memliers. And once again is this work planned 



and c-.ii'.i;'(l through in hi-, own inimitable style. It is no "dry .'is dust 

 calendar o!" the birds to be met with in the various months of the year, 

 but is written in nairative form, and runs into more than 220 pages, ex-ery 

 one of \\!ii.'h i^ inform.itive anl re])lete with interest. But the best com- 

 m'Tuliiiiin one ran give it is to let the work sneak for itself by quoting 

 one or two cxtr.H ts thciefrom. 



" .Famakv : .Some species of .Munia breed at this time of the 

 " year. 'I'he red munia, or ainadavat or /,,/ • li^ti c'.da uni iml(iv(n, i> a next 

 '■ t(i the ])arra(|uet, the bird most commonly caged in Indi.i. This 

 " little exquisite is considerably smaller than a sparrow. Its \n\\ is 

 '■ brigh' irinisoii, and there i-. some re 1 nr crimson in the nlumage - 

 " more in the cock than in the hen, and mo,t in both sexes at the 

 " breeding season. The remainder of the jdum.ige i.i brown, but is 

 ■'e\crywhcrc heavily spotted with white. In a state of nature; these 

 " art'eci long gia^s. for they fee 1 largely, if not entirely, on grass 

 " seed. The rock has a sweet voice, which al hough feeble^ is sufficiently 

 " lou(! to bi' heard al some distan<e. and is frequently uttered." 



" The nest of the ."Vvadavat is large for the size of the bird, 

 " being a loosely woven cup, which is egg-shaped and has a hole at 

 " o' near the narrow, end. It is composed of fine grass stems; and is 

 "often lined vdth soft material. It is usually placed in the middle 

 " of a bush, sometimes in a tussock of grass. From six to fourteen 

 " <^KS*' •I''*' laid. These are white in colour. This species appears to 

 "breed twice in a year— from October to February and again from 

 " June to August." 



" .M,;r( h : Mini\ets are aerial exquisites. In descriptions of them su- 



" perlative f(dlows upon superlative. The cocks of most species of them 



" are arraye^ in scarlet and black ; the hens arc not one whit less 



" brilliantly attired in yellow and sable. One species lives entirely 



