46 



NATURE 



[November 9, 191 1 



generic name, Cariacus, is printed with a small 

 initial letter. 



The most valuable of the natural history articles, 

 in our opinion, is the one by Mr. Rothschild on 

 pheasants, in which the number of species of the 

 typical genus Phasianus is reduced from about thirty- 

 five to half a dozen, all the forms allied to colchicus 

 beinfi: regarded as local races or colour-phases of that 

 species. As these will all interbreed and propagate fer- 

 tile offspring, the new classification is far preferable to 

 the old. In this connection it may be noted that the 

 author of the article on partridges refers to the red- 

 legged Caccabis rufa as a "variety," instead of a 

 species. It is high time that all sportsmen who 

 attempt to write on natural history subjects should 

 make themselves acquainted with the respective signi- 

 fications of the terms species, race, and variety. 

 Before leaving birds, reference may be made to a 

 statement that the smooth surface of the shells of the 



third and fourth volumes on American game anim.-i! 

 such as prccari, prairie-chicken, pronghorn, puiii 

 and turkey, all of which are admirable from ti 

 sportsman's point of view, although they do not ent( 

 deeply into the natural history of the subject. 



From .Mr R. B, Marston's excellent article on pil 

 and pike-fishing in vol. iii. we reproduce a striki: 

 illustration of a pike feeding, other photographs in i 

 fourth volume showing the mode in which salni 

 take their prey. 



Among the zoological articles in vol. iv., it may l 

 noted that the one on red deer appears in much t 

 same form as in the orij^inal edition, the Manchuri 

 Cervns xatithopygus being still affiliated to t; 

 European species instead of to the wapl 

 while the Sikhim C. affinis is erroneou- 

 stated to come close to the latter. The rhinocoi 

 articles, on the other hand, have been well revis' 

 and do full justice to the discovery of the white sped 



/'//«/(» 1 



Pike Feeding. From " The Encyclopiedia of Sport. 



[/. Turner- Turtur. 



eggs of North .African ostriches is probably brought 

 about by grindini,^ and polishing on the part of the 

 Arabs from whom they are generally procured. It has, 

 however, been pointed out in The Field that eggs of 

 North African ostriches laid at Woburn and Tring 

 prove the smooth surface to be natural. 



Many of the -articles on big game are by Mr. H. A. 

 Bryden, who always writes in a picturesque, if not 

 strictly accurate, style. His worst blunder occurs 

 under the heading Okapi, where it is stated that this 

 animal " may be looked upon as a connecting-link 

 between the giraffe and the antelope, having marked 

 characteristics common to both races." If the okapi 

 is nearly related to any family (not " race ") of 

 ruminants other than the giraffe group, it is to the 

 deer, and not the antelopes, the alleged resemblance 

 in bodily form to certain members of the latter group 

 being a feature utterly devoid of systematic value. 



Mr. Roosevelt communicates articles in both the 

 NO. 2193, VOL. 88] 



in the heart of equatorial Africa. In the article or 

 the rook, Mr. Harting expresses himself as being 

 fully convinced of the value of these birds to the 

 farmer ; and the same authority is responsible for the 

 articles on snipe and woodcock, which appear well 

 up to date. Sir Henry Pottinger's article on rype, 

 or ryper (ptarmigan), illustrated (like several of the 

 other bird-articles in this volume) by one of Mr. 

 Thorburn's exquisite paintings, is just what might 

 be expected from such an experienced sportsman, and 

 the same may be said with reg^ard to Sir Herbert 

 Maxwell's account of the salmon. Finally, it may be 

 mentioned that although the author of the article or» 

 trout conceals his identity under the pseudonym of 

 " John Bickerdyke," it is satisfactory to find that 

 his view as to the specific unity of all forms of trout 

 is in accord w-ith that adopted by Mr. C. T. Regan iiT 

 his new book on British fishes. 



Without expressing any definite opinion as to {hi- 



