5 o NATURAL SCIENCE. Jan., 



scientific research plausibly, . . . are not the lives of hundreds 

 of song-birds a high price for the gain of a doubtful new species, 

 which only causes endless discussion as to whether it really is 

 a species or merely a freak ? " We take exception to the third of 

 these objections. Surely those who make scientific research a cloak 

 to conceal, or rather justify, what is really wantonness, are the excep- 

 tion, not the rule. The charge of shooting "hundreds of song-birds," 

 etc., is obviously a random shaft. It is, we protest, unjust to suppose 

 that 



Men have no place for fine-spun sentiment 

 Who spend their lives 'mongst cabinets of skins. 



Twice in the pages of this book the pernicious practice of spreading 

 poisoned corn is advocated. Verily, the end cannot justify the means, 

 even though that end be the destruction of crows. The numerous 

 plates, mostly coloured, contain, each of them, several figures. 

 Some of these are most life-like, and some, are as bad as they can be. 

 The book is beautifully printed, remarkably free from mistakes, and 

 tastefully bound. Bird lovers should accord a warm welcome to this 

 little work, picturing to us, as it does, a country that we know not, 

 and friends we have not seen. 



Of more practical nature are the remaining books upon our list. 

 Remy Saint-Loup's pleasant but discursive little book has been com- 

 piled for popular purposes, its aim being to acquaint the general public 

 with some useful particulars regarding the acclimatised birds to be 

 met with in parks and zoological collections. The author starts with 

 a discourse upon rheas and ostriches, from which he presently passes 

 in order that he may describe certain species of swans which are 

 often kept upon Ornamental waters. By far the greater portion of 

 the book is devoted to the consideration of game-birds, for which 

 Saint-Loup exhibits a marked partiality. He does not appear to 

 have a personal knowledge of the proper treatment of captive birds, 

 though it may be that our author is too modest to favour us with the 

 results of his own experience. But failing original information, he 

 has acted judiciously in supplying copious extracts from the Bulletin 

 of the Societe d'Acclimatation and from other reliable sources. The 

 result is that his pages are seasoned with salt, and will be read with 

 a proper relish even by the initiated. For example, the curassows 

 are easily domesticated, but are generally regarded as birds which 

 never breed in captivity. Saint-Loup obligingly supplies us with 

 interesting particulars of curassows nesting in France. Again, the 

 young of blackgame (Tetrao tetrix) are proverbially difficult to rear 

 artificially ; Saint-Loup has collated all the particulars necessary to 

 success. There can be no doubt that a fair-minded reader will find 

 amusement and relaxation in assimilating the contents of this unpre- 

 tentious manual. He may dissent from Saint-Loup's dictum that the 

 pheasant (Phasianus colchicus?) is monogamous, and perhaps he will find 

 a few faults ; but on the whole he will admit that the book is a good 

 one for unscientific readers. 



G. Cornevin's "Birds of the Farmyard" completes "naturally 

 and necessarily" a general work upon " Zootechnie " published some 

 years since. The volume before us deals with the domesticated races 

 of swans, geese, ducks, turkeys, and other farmyard fowls. The 

 various birds are arranged into their respective groups, but these are 

 the old-fashioned ones of Palmipedes, Cursores, etc. And in the defini- 

 tions of the same there is no whisper of the ambiens or even of the 

 schizognathous skull. The longest section of the book is naturally 

 that devoted to the domestic fowl, of which there are many more 



