Recent Ornithological Publications. 507 



too much imbued with the spirit of scientific truth to draw upon 

 his imagination for unreal figures. When this work is finished, 

 it will be almost impossible to delineate a Kingfisher in a posi- 

 tion not before represented. 



Mr. Wallace has conferred a benefit on the world at large by 

 publishing in a handy volume* ten essays, of which nine have 

 been previously printed in as many different journals, while the 

 tenth now appears for the first time. Most of these, valuable 

 and interesting as they are, lie beside our path; for we have 

 always looked upon what the Germans have taken to call " Dar- 

 winismus" as not coming properly within the scope of 'The 

 Ibis.' Three of these dissertations, however, will, we are sure, 

 be read or re-read with pleasure by all ornithologists, even 

 though they do not agree with the author; and these are the 

 Third, Sixth, and Seventh of the series as now arranged. To be 

 critical, we must mention that some of the author's assertions 

 seem open to grave objection. Cordially agreeing, as we do, 

 with the general argument in the essay on " Mimicry," we cannot 

 understand Mr. Wallace citing as a case in point (pp. 53, 54) 

 such a statement as this : — " The wood-dove, when perched 

 among the branches of its favourite ^V, is scarcely discernible; 

 whereas were it among some lighter foliage, the blue and 

 purple tints in its plumage would far sooner betray it." There 

 is no reason to suppose that predatory animals are "colour 

 blind," and indeed all Mr. Wallace's argument would fall to 

 the ground if they were ; but we think his authority must have 

 been so afflicted ; for what is more unlike the green of any species 

 of fir with which we are acquainted than the " blue and purple 

 tints" which make up dove-colour we do not easily conceive; 

 and certainly, according to our own experience, a Pigeon is 

 more conspicuous on any of the dark and commoner firs than on 

 a beech, an oak or an elm. Our author's long sojournings in 

 foreign parts must, too, have caused him to forget his birds'-nest- 

 ing days at home; for he says (p. 216): — "The lark frequents 

 cultivated fields, and makes its nest, on the ground, of grass lined 



* Contributions to the theory of Natural Selection. A series of essays. 

 By Alfred Russel Wallace. London : 1870. 8vo, pp. 384. 



