1893. SOME NEW BOOKS. 227 
occurring, the nucleus is always apparently to be found at the seat of 
action. Finally, there are the important studies of Gruber and 
others upon the artificial breaking-up of cells; in such experiments it 
has been found that a fragment of the original cell in which the 
nucleus is left can be regenerated anew, while the remaining pieces 
live for a time, but eventually decay. The book is, in fact, a very 
complete and impartial summary of existing knowledge upon one of 
the most important and fascinating branches of Biology; but it is, of 
course, written by a specialist for people who are acquainted with, at 
least, the outline of the subject. Nevertheless, in the proper sense 
of the word, it ought unquestionably to be a most popular work. 
Tue Game Birps AND WILD Fowt oF THE BriTIsH IsLaNnDs: Being a Handbook 
for the Naturalist and Sportsman. By C. Dixon. 8vo. Pp. xvi. and 468. 
Illustrated. London: Chapman & Hall, 1893. Price 18s. ° 
TuHE stream of books on British Birds seems to be an endless one, 
but, nevertheless, there is doubtless an opening for the present 
volume, which deals with all those groups of special interest to the 
sportsman, namely, the game birds properly so-called, the pigeons, 
rails, plovers and their kin, as well as the water-fowl. In his preface, 
Mr. Dixon—whose name is already well-known through several 
popular works on ornithology—is careful to observe that he is largely 
indebted to the writings of others for much of the material on which 
his work is based, although his own ornithological studies have 
enabled him to add a considerable amount of original matter con- 
nected with the habits of the birds described. Since, we believe, 
there is no other work of this kind covering precisely the ground 
occupied by the volume before us, Mr. Dixon’s handy and well- 
illustrated manual ought to be acceptable to all sportsmen who take 
interest in the natural history and habits of their quarry. 
We cordially agree with the author’s prefatory remarks concern- 
ing the subject of bird classification, and the haste with which almost 
every aspirant to ornithological knowledge propounds some startling 
new scheme, destined to revolutionise the science—until superseded 
by the next attempt; and we think he has done well in keeping 
more or less closely to one of the older arrangements. In attaching 
the termination ‘‘ formes” to each one of the old ordinal names, such 
as ‘‘ Anseres,”’ we are of opinion, however, that he is ill-advised ; the 
only possible advantage of such a cumbersome affix being in cases 
where the terms are employed in the sense of subclasses, as, for 
instance, when Mr. Sharpe uses the name “ Anseriformes ” to include 
the order ‘‘ Anseres” and several others of the old ordinal groups. 
In placing the Sand-Grouse under the ‘‘ Galliformes,” rather than 
with the ‘‘ Columbiformes,” the author has no sort of justification, as 
the osteology of these birds is alone amply sufficient to show that 
their affinity is much closer with the former than it is with the latter 
group. Neither are we yet convinced of the propriety of removing 
the Bustards from the vicinity of the Cranes, and placing them with 
the Plovers. 
The mention of Cranes reminds us that under the heading of the 
Demoiselle Crane, the author states that the time during which this 
bird may be taken is ‘August 1st to March 1st, otherwise by 
authority of owner or occupier of land.” Now, seeing that there is 
but one solitary record of the occurrence of this species in the British 
Q2 
