November 4, 1915] 



NATURE 



'63 



BRITISH BIRD BOOKS. 

 (i) 'T^WELVE chapters on birds by the Hon. 

 J- Mrs. Murray, which have for the most 

 part already appeared in various magazines and 

 journals, are now reprinted, and, under the title 

 of "A Birdlover's Year," made to synchronise 



I ir.isshopper warbler. From "A IJirdloverV \< 



with the month of the year, 

 although in some cases the 

 subjects dealt with have no- 

 thing in particular to do with 

 the month under the name of 

 which we find them. 



In January winter birds are 

 discussed appropriately i n 

 some half-dozen pages. In 

 February we as naturally con- 

 sider the song thrush and its 

 travels, chiefly in the light of 

 Mr. W. Eagle Clarke's 

 "Studies in Bird Migration." 

 April suggests the return of 

 the birds, and May the birds 

 as builders. There are pleas- 

 ant summer sketches of a 

 *' Yellow-Hammer Lane " and 

 bird-life of the hills; and 

 autumnal ones on October 

 bird-life and birds as travel- 

 lers. The rest deal with ocean 

 wanderers, Tayside summer 

 visitors, gulls and terns, and 

 hawks and falcons. The Rev. 

 H. N. Bonar contributes thir- 

 teen pleasing photographs of bird-life, among 

 which we may especially notice a lapwing prepar- 



1 (i) " A Birdlover's Year." By G. G. Murray. Pp. viii + x49. (London : 

 Eveleigh Nash, 1915 ) Price 3J. M. net. 



(2) " British Birds." Written and Illustrated by A. Thorburn. 4 vols. 

 Vol. i., pp. 1484-19 plates. (London: Longmans, Green, and Co., i9:5.) 

 Price, 4 vols., 6/. 6s. net. 



NO. 2401, VOL. 96I 



ing to brood her eggs, an excellent one of a 

 common sandpiper on her nest, and another, 

 showing that shy and elusive bird, the grass- 

 hopper warbler, going on to hers. This must 

 have been difficult to get, and the photographer 

 is to be congratulated. The two last are here 

 ^ reproduced by permission of the 



publishers. 



(2) Mr. Thorburn 's beautiful 

 . bird-studies are so well known 

 and greatly admired that the an- 

 nouncement of a new work on 

 British birds by him, to be illus- 

 trated with coloured figures, was 

 received with considerable in- 

 terest and expectation by all 

 those of the public who concern 

 themselves with our native avi- 

 fauna. Probably it was felt by 

 many people that if an excuse 

 could be put forward for the issue 

 of yet another work on the sub- 

 ject, that excuse might well be 

 found in the Thorburn illustra- 

 tions. The first volume of the 

 book is now in our hands, and 

 we can see how far our anticipa- 

 tions have been fulfilled. We do 

 not think that any disappoint- 

 ment will be expressed (but 

 rather the contrary), although 

 it is probable that the original 

 studies were even more beauti- 



Sandpiper on its nest. From " A Birdlover's Year. " 



, ful than the plates now before us. For the 

 latter are apparently produced by some form of 



I the three-colour process; and it is unfortunate 

 that in this process one of the colours sometimes 



! obtains undue prominence, and produces shades 

 which were not intended to appear, and doubtless 



