The Oologists' Record, December 1, 1923. 87 



WILD BIRDS PROTECTION BILL, 1923. 



There was a slight error in our last issue. In Mr. G. N. Carter's 

 letter, on page 55, the last line of the fourth paragraph should 

 read : "if they had not had the opportunity." 



This Bill will be shelved for the time being, of course, but all our 

 readers who can influence members of Parliament should try and 

 enlist their interest in securing its amendment, in the respects 

 indicated by Mr. Carter, when it is reintroduced in the next 

 Parliament. 



THE BIOLOGY OF BIRDS. 



By Professor J. Arthur Thomson, M.A., Ll.D. London : Sidgwick 

 & Jackson, Ltd., 16s. net. 



Professor Thomson has compressed into this fascinating volume 

 all the important facts and theories concerning bird life, and these are 

 presented to the reader in a literary style possessed by too few of our 

 eminent scientists. Though the vast field indicated by the title is 

 well covered, the author modestly expresses the hope that it will 

 show what a great scope the subject still offers for further research 

 and suggest to others " the length and breadth and height of the 

 biology of birds." This hope will surely be realised, and we can 

 imagine no bird-lover's library complete without it. An enumeration 

 of a few of the fifteen chapter headings will give some idea of the 

 range of subjects dealt with : — 



L The Chief Characteristics of Birds. 

 II. External Features Biologically Considered. 



III. Adaptation of the Bird's Skeleton. 



IV. The Fhght of Birds. 



V. Food : its Capture and Utilisation. 



The chapters dealing with " Courtship and Sex " and " Birds' 

 Eggs " treat of their subjects at very great length, and show how 

 complete is the author's knowledge of his theme. 



Unlike so many of the academic ornithologists. Professor 

 Thomson does not condemn or disparage oology. 



" Enthusiasts on the subject of birds' eggs," he writes, " have 

 invented the word ' oology ' as the name of their science, and 



