JOURNAL OF THE WILD BIRD IWESTKJATIOX SOCIETY- 



19 



txTs, ;ui(l announced Iwo excursions. Diflcrcnt 

 niemliers drew attention to the wanton destruc- 

 tion of the egg's and nestlings of insectivorous 

 birds, and after some discussion, General Pur\is 

 proposed, and Mr. C. Ba\ ne-lNleldruni seconded, 

 the following resolution — "That the attention of 

 the Countv Kducational Authorities be called to 

 the wanton destruction of \\ ild bird life bv school- 

 boys, in the hope that the Board will bring the 

 nialtcr under the notice of the teachers in all 

 their schools, with a \'iew to instruction being 

 given as to the great benefits these birds confer, 

 and to persuade the children to aid in conserving 

 a natural force both beautiful and beneficial to 

 the country." 



June 5th. — The monthly meeting was held in 

 the Lecture Theatre of the University Natural 

 llistorv Department. The Honorary Secretary 

 referred to the visits the Societ\- h;id made 

 to Strathtyrum , Herony and Tentsmuir, and 

 hitimated that on the kind invitation of Mr. 

 William Berry, of Tayport, a visit would be paid 

 to Morton Lochs on the 12th instant. 



Dr. Walter E. Collinge gave a short account 

 •of the different methods of estimating the stomach 

 contents of wild birds, emphasising the import- 

 ance of the \-olumetric method, which was 

 explained and illustrated. Dr. Collinge empha- 

 sised the fact that the economic ornithologist 

 did not for a moment advocate any methods of 

 extermination, but carefully considered and 

 wisely administered repressive measures where 

 a species was too plentiful, and consequently 

 injurious ; and the strictest protection for all 

 species that were known to be beneficial. By 

 kind permission of Professor D'.Arcy W. Thomp- 

 son, the members had the privilege of inspecting 

 a number of valuable and beautiful works on 

 ornitholoiTV. 



A I'kactrai. Handbook of British Bikos. 

 Edited by H. F. Witherby. Ft. i , pp. xvi- 

 64, pis. I and 2; Ft. 2, pp. 65-128, pis. 3-5; 

 Ft. ;;, pp. i2g-2o8, pis. 6 and 7, and text- 

 figs. London : ^^'itherb^ &• Co. Frice 4s. 

 net per Fart. 

 In the Introfluctorv note the Editor states that, 

 notwithstanding the innumerable books on 

 Uritish Birds, an uiJ-to-date Handbook contain- 



ing reliable inlormation, so arranged as to be 

 easily accessible, seems to be required." .\ 

 glance at the parts 1-3 of this work at once 

 evidences the fact that it is not going to be a 

 collection of pictures, like so many modern books 

 on birds, but a work of real practical utility, and 

 when complete it will form a most important one 

 on our avifauna. 



The plan of the book is admirable. First we 

 have keys to the orders, families and genera 

 (with illustrations), keys to the species and sub- 

 species, names of species and sub-species, 

 synonymy, descriptions (remarkably full) with 

 details of the periods and extent of the moults, 

 measurements and structure, characters and 

 allied forms, field characters, breeding habits, 

 food, distribution and migrations. 



Ft. I commences with the Order Fasseres, and 

 treats of the Corvidae, Sturnidae, Oriolidae, and 

 Fringillidae, which is continued in Ft. 2 and Ft. 

 3, followed by the .Alaudidae and Mortacillidae. 



The wonderful amount of information which 

 the author and his colleagues have compressed 

 into these pages is astonishing, but they might 

 have spared us the trinomial nomenclature, and 

 the system of repeating the specific name of a 

 species for a variety or sub-species (the identi- 

 fication is left to the reader's choice), one that is 

 followed in few other branches of zoology. 



The illustrations generally are good, and the 

 coloured plates, in our opinion, leave nothing 

 to be desired. 



.As an up-to-date handbook, we heartily com- 

 mend this \aluable and interesting work to all 

 our readers. 



W. E. C. 



Birds and the War. By Hugh S. Gladstone. 

 Fp. xviii + 169, 17 illustrs. London: 

 .SkefTlngton & Son, Ltd., 1919. 



Before we know what effect the late war has 

 had upon bird life, much careful observation 

 will be necessary, but it is well to have our 

 attention directed to the subject. In the pleasant 

 little volume before us, under such headings as 

 the Utility and Economy of Birds in the War ; 

 .Sufferings of Birds; Behaviour of, in the War 

 Zone ; and Effect of the ^^'ar on Birds, the author 

 has brought together a mass of most interesting 

 information, which he presents in a popular and 

 chatty style. 



It is a book that cannot fail to interest even 

 the most casual, and the seventeen excellent 

 photgraphs greatly add to its \'alue. 



