Short Notices of Ornithological Publications. 133 



XV. — Short Notices of Ornithological Publications. 



XI. Sketches of South African Bird-Life. By Alwin 

 Haagner and Robert H. Ivy. Illustrated by the 

 Camera. R. H. Porter, London (1908) , and T. Maskew 

 Miller, Cape Town. Price 205. 



This little work fills a much-needed want in the literature 

 of South Africa, viz., a popular account of the commoner 

 birds inhabiting the country. The book is attractively got 

 up : it is bound in orange art-linen, with gilt top, and is 

 illustrated with 92 full-page plates and 15 text- figures, 

 comprising 123 photographs of birds and their nests and eggs — 

 with few exceptions from life. Mr. Robert Ivy, of Grahams- 

 town, to whose artistic skill and indomitable patience the 

 South African public are indebted for this beautiful series of 

 photographs (the taking of which extended over a period of 

 nearly 15 years), is almost wholly responsible for the illus- 

 trations, while to Mr. Haagner (the Secretary of the Union) 

 fell the task of compiling the text of the work. We can 

 strongly recommend the book to all lovers of natural liistor}^ 

 and it will be of especial value to beginners in the study of 

 field ornithology in South Africa. J. W. B. G. 



XII. Three Voyages of a Naturalist, being an Account of 

 many little-known Islands in Three Oceans visited by the 

 ' Valhalla.; R. VS. By M. J. Nicoll, M.B.O.U. 



It seldom falls to the lot of a young and unknown 

 Naturalist to experience such a windfall of luck as that 

 which brought to Mr. Nicoll the chance of a lifetime, viz. a 

 cruise round the W'orld. The book before us is a brightly 

 written account of three cruises in perhaps the finest private 

 yacht afloat. The first portion relates to a voyage round 

 Africa, during which many of the outlyiug islands were 

 visited and much rich booty, in the way of natural history 

 specimens, collected. Amongst matter of local interest the 

 Author describes a visit to Dassen Island, and publishes 

 several photograi)hs of the masses of Penguins which inhabit 



