Oct. 9, 1879] 



NATURE 



551 



known as the capercaillie, or cock of the woods — the 

 Teirao nrogallits of naturalists— and Mr. Harvie-Brovrn 

 tells us the story of its extinction and revival in the 

 interesting volume now before us. 



The capercaiDie, as Mr. Harvie-Brown after much dis- 

 cussion, decides that the name is most correctly written, 

 was certainly a not unfrequent denizen of the pine-woods 

 of Scotland and Ireland in former days, but, for some not 

 yet clearly understood reasons, became gradually rarer in 

 both countries, and according to the best evidence was 

 finally extinct between the years 1745 and 1760, although 

 there are several records of its alleged occurrence in 

 Scotland at a later date, which Mr. Harvie-Brown con- 

 siders " at least worthy of notice." In 1807 a capercaillie 

 is said to have been shot in the Camus-na-gaul woods 

 opposite Fort William, but this must have been the last 

 survivor of the ancient race, for it is allowed on all sides 

 that at the beginning of the present century the caper- 

 caillie could no longer be reckoned as an existing "British 

 bird." Its reintroduction was effected by the late Marquis 

 of Breadalbane in 1837 and 1838, after several ineffectual 

 attempts. Living birds obtained in Sweden through the 

 instrumentality of Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton and by the 

 energy of Mr. Lloyd, the well-known Swedish sportsman 

 and naturalist, were transported to this country and safely 

 delivered at Taymouth under the care of English game- 

 keepers. About forty-eight individuals were imported in 

 these two years, some of which were turned out, while 

 others were kept in captivity for breeding purposes. So 

 well did they succeed that in 1862 or 1863 their numbers 

 on the Breadalbane estates were estimated to be at least 

 1,000, whilst according to other accounts they reached at 

 this period to over 2,000 in number. From the Taymouth 

 woods the capercaillies spread gradually over the adjacent 

 districts of Central Scotland, wherever fir-woods prevailed 

 Suitable to the habits and food of the bird. Mr. Harvie- 

 Brown gives us details of their first appearance and pre- 

 sent numbers on various estates in Perthshire, Forfarshire, 

 Fife, Kinross, Clackmannan, and Stirling, besides other 

 outlying counties. A neatly executed map enables us to 

 realise at one glance the statistics that Mr. Harvie-Brown 

 has so diligently collected. "The capercaillie then," he 

 concludes, "has populated the woods and forests of part 

 of Scotland principally by its own exertions, since the 

 great restoration at Taymouth ; but there are certain 

 minor centres of introduction which have undoubtedly 

 added some impulse to their advance, though perhaps not 

 to any extent compared with the impulse from the great 

 centre." All naturalists must, we are sure, feel indebted 

 to Mr. Harvie-Brown for the pains he has taken in inves- 

 tigating this interesting subject, and will congratulate 

 themselves upon the restoration of this noble species to 

 the British avifauna. 



OUR BOOK SHELF 



San Rcmo and the Western Riviera, Climatically and 

 Medically Considered. By Arthur Hill Hassall, M.D. 

 (London : Longmans and Co., 1879.) 



Dr. Hassai.i, has written a really useful work on a part 

 of the Italian coast possessing many points of interest, 

 more especially to those affected with chest diseases. He 

 himself has spent two winters in the Western Riviera, 

 and during that period has diligently collected informa- 



tion by personal observation and otherwise on the spot. 

 Partly in this way, and partly by consulting anthorities 

 on the topography of the district, and with the help of 

 specialists in various departments of natural history, Dr. 

 Hassall has compiled a work which may be taken as a 

 full and trustworthy guide by all jwho wish to visit the 

 Riviera either for pleasure or health. There are a few 

 attractive illustrations and a good map. 



LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 



[The Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions expressed 

 by his correspondents. Neither can he undertake to return, or 

 to correspond with the writers of, rejected manuscripts. No 

 notice is taken of anonymous communications. 



[ The Editor urgently requests correspondents to keep their letters as 

 short as possible. The pressure on his space is so great that it 

 is impossible othenuise to ensure the appearance even of com- 

 munications containing interesting arid novel fcuts^ 



An Index to Zoological Genera 



The Smithsonian Institution at Washington will publish at an- 

 early day an index, in one alphabet, to all genera hitherto pro- 

 posed in zoology, whether for recent or fossil animals. It is to 

 be based upon the " Nomenclators " of Agassiz and Marschall 

 and the indexes to the Zoological Record. The name of the genus 

 will be followed by the name of its proposer, the order to which 

 it is referred, the date of its publication, and the symbols 

 A., M,, Z., or App. (to indicate that a full reference may be 

 found in [A.] ACTas>iz's "Nomenclator," [M.] Marschall's "No- 

 menclator," [Z.] the Zoological Record, or [App.] the Appendix 

 to the proposed work), thus : — 



Donachlora, Sodoffsky, Mamm., 1S37, A. 

 Dorcasia, Gray, Gaster., 1847, M. 

 Loganius, Chapuis, Coleopt., 1869, Z. 

 Periplacis, Geyer, Lepid., 1837, App. 



Names to which objection has been raised will be prefixed by 

 an asterisk. 



The appendix referred to will record in greater detail names 

 which have been overlooked in the lists above mentioned, or 

 have been published since 1877, the year reviewed in the last 

 Zoological Record. 



The object of this communication is to invite at once from 

 European zoologists, and especially from palaeontologists, lists 

 of such names as should appear in the appendix. Such names 

 (including corrections of any kind to the text of Agassiz's or 

 Marschall's Nomenclators) should be accompanied by the name 

 of the proposer of the genus, full bibliographical reference, date, 

 etymology, and the order of animals to which the genus is refer- 

 able. In the Index the name of the person furnishing the reference 

 will also be added as its sponsor. 



Many American zoologists have promised their assistance, hut 

 it must be evident that a work so extensive and of such universal 

 value can only be satisfactorily prepared by the aid of European 

 naturalists. As it is expected that the MS. of the Index will ht 

 ready by December i next, friends of the plan are earnestly 

 invited to communicate » ith the subscriber at the earliest possible 

 day. Samuel H. Scudder 



Library of Harvard University, Cambridge, 

 U.S.A., September 22 



The Mineral Waters of Hungary 



The numerous mineral waters of Hungary, some of which are 

 used as table-waters, while others are prized for their medicinal 

 properties, are unfortunately very imperfectly known either to- 

 the .scientific world or the general public, and, what is worse, 

 many of the particulars which have been published about them 

 are altogether incorrect and misleading. 



There are a number of bal 1 eological works treating of the 

 Etiropean mineral springs generally, which include descriptions 

 of those of Hungary, but iu almost all cases these descriptions 

 are either obsolete or unreliable. That such incorrect statements 

 should appear in the works of foreigners is perhaps excusable, 

 when we consider the difficulties under which the authors must 

 labour in seeking to obtain information upon the subject ; but 

 we may fairly expect that a work published in Hungary should 

 be without any such serious errori. It is a most unfortunate 



