6o6 



NATURE 



[May 13, 1922 



startled him when he was wandering abroad in the 

 gloom of the forest " (p. 343). 



Such fancies may find a place in a schoolboy's essay, 

 but are altogether out of place in a massive work 

 devoted to the archaeology of Europe. 



The illustrations, which are excellent and numerous, 

 make up for much that is deficient in the text . Students 

 will also be thankful for references to many recent 

 papers and monographs. There is no doubt a real 

 need for such a text-book as this written in English 

 and designed for the use of students of archaeology — a 

 text-book to serve as a standard work. We only 

 regret that the author, while displaying a most com- 

 mendable and painstaking industry, has not risen to 

 the height of his opportunity. A. K. 



Indian Game-Birds. 



The Game-Birds of India. By F. C. Stuart Baker. 

 Vol. I, Ducks and their Allies {Swans, Geese, and 

 Ducks). Second edition. Pp. xvi + 340 + pi. xxx 

 (4Z, 45. net.) Vol. 2, Snipe, Bustards, and Sand-Grouse. 

 Pp. xvi -I- 328 -h pi. xix (3L 135. 6d. net.) (Bombay : 

 Bombay Natural History Society ; London : J. Bale, 

 Sons, and Danielsson, Ltd., 1921.) 



THE first of these volumes, dealing with Ducks 

 and their allies, is the second edition of a work 

 published by the author in 1908, which again was a 

 reprint from a series of articles which appeared in the 

 Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. The 

 matter has therefore had the advantage of two revisions 

 and is brought completely up to date as regards 

 nomenclature and records. The second volume, now 

 before us, deals with birds which are included by the 

 sportsman among the game-birds, though in scientific 

 classification they are not so. These are the Snipe, 

 Bustards, and Sand-Grouse. Two further volumes are 

 promised on the Pheasants and Partridges, and with 

 these four by his side the Indian sportsman and | 

 amateur naturalist will be very completely equipped 

 not only to identify the game-birds he commonly meets 

 with, but to obtain all the information in regard to 

 their habits and occurrence that is known. Mr. 

 Baker, though now for some years retired from service 

 in India, spent the greater part of his life there, and 

 in these volumes he has given us much of his own 

 observations and experiences; to these he has added con- 

 tributions from others, both previously published and 

 derived from information sent him by his many Indian 

 correspondents. As a result we have here a most com- 

 plete account of the Hfe history of these favourite birds. 

 In every case a good description of adults and 

 nestlings is followed by paragraphs on the distribution, 

 nidification, and general habits, while every species is 

 NO. 2741, VOL. 109] 



illustrated with coloured plates. These are most of 

 them by Mr. H. Gronvold, though some of those in the 

 first volume are from the brush "of Mr. G. E. Lodge 

 and the late Mr. J. G. Keulemans. They are reproduced 

 by chromolithography in the case of the Ducks, and 

 by the three-colour process in the second volume. 

 The chromoUthography is certainly softer, and perhaps 

 gives a more artistic result. In the three-colour process 

 the colours are decidedly sharper, and better defined, 

 though the very shiny paper necessary for this process 

 certainly detracts from their artistic appearance. 



Perhaps one of the most interesting facts recorded 

 in these volumes relates to the habits of two species of 

 sand-grouse, Pteroclurus alchatus and P. senegalensis 

 (formerly known as P. exustus). Although these birds 

 inhabit the dryer and more desert regions of north- 

 west India and Central Asia, they are, unlike some other 

 desert forms, unable to do without water, and resort 

 in enormous flocks to well-known watering-places at 

 certain fixed hours to quench their thirst. It has 

 always been stated by native shikarees that when they 

 have young broods they convey water to them by 

 thoroughly soaking the feathers and the breast and 

 underparts, and that the young birds suck the water 

 thus conveyed to them. This story has been confirmed 

 by Mr. Meade Waldo, who has repeatedly bred P. 

 alchatus and other species in confinement and has 

 watched the process of the male saturating the feathers 

 of his breast and subsequently satisfying the thirsty 

 brood. 



Nearly all intelligent travellers and even residents in 

 tropical countries have experienced the irritation and 

 annoyance of being unable to identify the strange 

 forms of animal and vegetable fife with which they 

 come in contact. Such works as the present, with its 

 beautiful series of coloured plates and carefully prepared 

 descriptions, cannot fail to be of the greatest assistance 

 to all those whom duty or pleasure take to India, and 

 we must congratulate Mr. Baker and the Bombay 

 Natural History Society on their enterprise in supply- 

 ing two such fine volumes at a comparatively reasonable 

 price as things are at present. We shall look forward to 

 the appearance of the other two volumes promised 

 within a reasonable period. 



Water Flow in Pipes. 



Hydraulics of Pipe Lines. By Prof. W. F. Durand. 

 (The Glasgow Text Books of Civil Engineering.) 

 Pp. xvi + 271. (London: Constable and Co., Ltd., 

 1921.) 185. 



THE subject of the flow of water in pipes and 

 channels is not only of very considerable 

 historical and scientific interest, but is also one of 



