66



Obituary.



us one fairly gasps at the profusion of bird life portrayed : one reads

with tense interest of the Vultures, like clear-cut silhouettes as they

sit hunched on the fence-posts ; of the Egrets, “ like mannikins cut

from the whitest of celluloid ” ; of the noisy, yelping Toucans ; of the

brilliant scarlet and yellow Woodpeckers, and the lovely Flycatchers

dressed in subdued greens and buffs ; of the droning swarms of

Humming-birds poised about the cashew trees. The book is in every

way excellent, and confirms our already high estimate of the author.


Although we advise everybody to get the book itself we cannot

refrain from one more extract:


“ Close to my face, so near that it startled me for a moment,

over the curved length of a long narrow caladium leaf, there came

suddenly two brilliant lights. Steadily they moved onward, coming

up into view for all the world like two tiny head-lights of a motor-car.

They passed, and the broadside view of this great elater was still

absurdly like the profile of a miniature tonneau with the top down. I

laughingly thought to myself how perfect the illusion would be if a

red tail-light should be shown, when to my amazement a rosy red

light flashed out behind, and my bewildered eyes all but distinguished

a number.” G. R.



OBITUARY.


We deeply regret to report that Sir Richard Sutton, step-son

of Mr. Astley, has died of illness in France.


We feel that all Members will join with the Council in

expressing their deep sympathy with Mr. Astley, who for so long

edited the Magazine, and who has always been so prominently asso¬

ciated with the work of the Society. We all remember his unweary¬

ing devotion to the best interests of avicultural journalism in the

dark days that are past.



