62 Bibliographical Notice. 



BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE. 



The Instructive Picture Book ; or, a few attractive Lessons from the 

 Natural History of Animals. By Adam White, Assistant Zoo- 

 logical Department, British Museum, &c. &c. Third Edition, 

 with many Illustrations by J. B. and others. Edinburgh : Ed- 

 monston and Douglas, 1859. 



This is no ordinary picture-book ; it is really and truly what it pro- 

 fesses to be — an Instructive Picture-book. Look, for instance, at 

 plate 1 1, at the picture of the Giraffe by J. B. The various attitudes 

 of the creatures there represented are exceedingly well done — life- 

 like — almost IVolf-like, if we may use the expression. Then turn to 

 p. 26 of the letter-press, and read the description of the "noble 

 creature with its finely waved neck, and its curious head with the 

 large languishing eye and dark eyelids." The Brown Rat, too 

 (plate 7), is good, and the descriptive letter-press at p. 20 is full of 

 interesting information. Gloves, the author tells us, are made of 

 rats' skins ; and we can, from personal knowledge, vouch for their 

 fine, soft texture and quality. The manufacture, we believe, is chiefly 

 in Paris, where rats are more abundant than they are in London. 

 In plate 12 we have the little Alderney Cow, and the intelligent and 

 inquisitive-looking West Highland Bull ; he is a good sample of the 

 ruminating animals ; and Mr. White's description of him, of the little 

 Alderney, and the Cow in general, indeed, at p. 20, is well worthy of 

 a perusal. Many little bits of valuable information may be derived 

 from reading the descriptive letter-press, which Ave would strongly 

 advise the young, for whose use this book is so carefully got up, not 

 to skip over. Thus, in the description of plate 13, under the heading 

 "Fallow Deer," p. 28, we read the following fact, which all may not be 

 acquainted with, and the explanation of it : — "When Deer drink, 

 they can plunge their heads into water almost up to the eyes ; for, 

 besides the nostrils, they have two breathing-places, one at the corner 

 of each eye, which they can open at will : when they are hard run, 

 these spiracles, as they are called, assist them much in breathing." 

 We may perhaps prefer the illustrations of the Quadrupeds in this 

 book to those of the Birds. Plate 1 7, however, the picture of the 

 Parrot race, is very striking ; and Mr. White, at p. 33, is very happy 

 in his description of the species represented. So is he also at p. 43, 

 in describing the common Cock and Hen. Plate 25 and the Frontis- 

 piece, representing Sea-birds, are plates which will be sure to please 

 the young ; while the author's description of them at p. 49, with his 

 recollections of the animated scenes of the Bass Rock and the Shet- 

 land Isles, cannot fail to arrest their attention and fix them upon 

 these interesting animals. 



Mr. White's style of writing is very pleasing, and exceedingly well 

 adapted for young people. There are no tiresome descriptions of 

 animals ; but the minds of his juvenile readers are led as it were im- 

 perceptibly to a knowledge of the creatures figured in the plates, 

 and thus to take an interest in them. We would recommend him, 

 however, to avoid puns ; for although his manner of conveying in- 



