Reviews 127


A PRACTICAL ELSNDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS 1

Part XT of this very useful work is to Land, and deals with the

Osprey, Vultures, Storks, Herons, Spoonbills, Ibis, Flamingo, and the

family Anatidse, the Swans. Geese, and Ducks. In addition to some

excellenl text-figures, this part contains a very useful coloured plate

showing the 1 tills of the two British Wild Swans and the Geese, a valuable

aid to identification.


This work when completed will contain the most up-to-date

information on all the birds on the British list, and should be in the

bands of every student of this branch of Natural History.



British Birds. Vol. xv, Nos. 2 and 3, July and August, 1921.

H. F. & G. Witherby.


Apart from the usual notes upon the habits and local occurrence

of British birds, the two last numbers of this periodical contain three

particularly interesting articles upon " Nesting Rmged Plovers ", by

T. Leslie Smith, illustrated by five photographs ; upon " Diving Ducks

on the Coast of Western Canada ", by C. E. Alford ; and upon " The

Little Tern and its Youna ", by J. X. Douglas Smith, who assisted

ais brother in his observations upon the Ringed Plover in the article

already mentioned. Mr. Alford's article upon diving Ducks deals

principally with the Harlequin, Golden-eye, and Red-breasted

Merganser. The courtship of the Golden-eye is very amusingly

described, and the record of the manner in which the Gulls of the

district, principally the Glaucous-winged Gull [Larus glaucescens),

watch for the rising Ducks to cob them of their captured prey, as told

in the July number, is indep ndently confirmed in the August issue by

.All'. Theed Pearse, writing from Courtney, Vancouver. In this number

also .Mr. Eugh S. Gladstone raises the interesting question of the date

of the introduction of the Ring-necked Pheasant into Western Europe.

This bird, he says, is not believed to have been brought to this country

until the mil of the eighteenth century. Nevertheless, a, Flemish


1 II. P. & G. Witherby, 326 High Holborn, W.C. 1 , 1'iice 4s. 6f7. per part.



