1893. NOTES AND COMMENTS. 331 
1s. 4d., which appeared early in the month. The Report traces the 
nature and origin of the plague; causes of the outbreak; effect on 
the pasture and on the stock; remedies; previous outbreaks, among 
which the Philistines and other biblical stories are quoted; natural 
enemies of the voles; conclusions and recommendations. Of course, 
the obvious remedy, and one which is hinted at in the Report, is the 
non-destruction of the birds and mammals that destroy the voles for 
food; but it is almost useless to insist on the preservation of the 
balance of life in Nature where the game-breeder and game-keeper 
are concerned. The owls, buzzards, and kestrels, the stoats, 
weasels, and foxes, are sacrificed to the game-god, and therefore the 
sacrificers bring other (and greater) evils on their own heads and 
on those of others. The Report is illustrated by figures of voles and 
their natural enemies. 
A New VARIETY OF THE PALA. 
In the last number of the Proc. Zool. Soc., Mr. Thomas describes 
a new variety of antelope differing from the ordinary Pala by its 
much smaller horns and more slender skull recently obtained from 
Nyassa-land. The especial interest attaching to this form is that 
it occupies an ‘‘island”’ within the distributional area of the common 
Pala. 
Costa Rica. 
An excellent map of Costa Rica will be found in ‘“‘Geografia de 
Costa Rica,” by F. M. Barrantes (Barcelona, 1892). This work, 
which has been occasioned by the Exhibitions of Madrid and Chicago, 
gives a sketch of the territory, its limits and coast-lines, mountain and 
river systems, climate and productions. A list follows, of the birds, 
taken from Zeledon’s papers, reptiles and fishes, and mammals. This 
last is a translation of Frantzins’ paper, and occupies 72 pages. It is 
followed by a series of chapters on population, government, and 
religion, and then the book deals with the various provinces and 
islands. There are a great number of full-page illustrations, repro- 
ductions of photographs of town scenes chiefly, and one of the crater 
of the volcano Poas, which is most interesting, being taken from the 
edge, and showing the crater-lake. There is no index. 
THE ORIGIN OF THE DINGo. 
In a useful descriptive catalogue of the Mammals of Australia, 
recently issued by the Australian Museum, Sydney, Mr. J. D. Ogilby 
enters very fully into the disputed question of the origin of the Dingo, 
or native dog. After quoting the chief recent authorities who have 
written on the subject—more especially the late Professor McCoy— 
