Short Notices of OrnitJiolocjical Publications. 73 



7. The Game Birds of South Africa. By Major BojJ 

 Horsbrugh, A.S.C. IllusfcrateJ with Coloured Plates 

 by Sergt. C. G. Davies, C.M.R. Witlicrby & Co., 

 London. Price 21s. per Part. 



Part I. of the above work has reached us. The coloured 

 plates (16 in number) are from the admirable drawings of 

 Sergt. Davies, C.M.R., whose work is now well-known to 

 Members of the Union. We have been favoured with a 

 sight of the original drawings and only wish it were possible 

 to reproduce them in all their beauty. Messrs. Witherby's 

 plates, however, are very good and no difficulty should be 

 experienced in identifying species at a glance. 



The backgrounds, it is believed, are not by the same artist, 

 and we must be allowed to say that in some instances (notablj- 

 that of the Dikkop) they might have been so handled as to 

 give a truer idea of the haunts of the species depictetl. We 

 are, of course, well aware of the difficulty of exhibiting birds 

 — especially game birds — ^in their natural surroundings and 

 at the same time bringing out the colours with the boldness 

 required in a work of this nature. 



A book like this is necessarily somewhat expensive and 

 purchasers naturally like to feel tbat the letterpress is as 

 complete as may be. In this regard we must confess to a 

 feeling of disappointment at the brevity of some of the 

 descriptive matter. 



We do not understand why Otis riippeUi has been omitted. 

 It should have been incUuled even without a plate. 



This much being said, we have nothing but praise for a 

 book Avhich should be in the hands of every South African 

 sportsman and lover of birds. 



We look forward with pleasurable anticipation to the 

 ensuing parts. 



Part I. contains plates and letterpress of the following 

 species : — Otis kori, 0. ludwitji, 0. caj'ra, O. arrnh'scens, 

 0. barrovii, 0. vigorsi, 0. melanogaster, 0. ru/icrista, 0. 

 afroides, and O.afra ; the two Dikkops (G^dirncnius nf/wnsis 



VOL. VIII. () 



