October 29. 1914] 



NATURE 



229 



home." It is a pity that there are many of these 

 awkwardnesses in this httle book. But the book 

 is well-conceived and on the whole sound. It is 

 very effectively illustrated, and the multiple appen- 

 dix, mostly devoted to practical matters, from 

 observational outfit to the Wild Birds' Protection 

 Acts, will be found exceeding-ly useful. 



f6) Mr. Hall has provided a useful introduction 

 to the study of British beetles — a studv which 

 only needs to be begun seriously to become an 

 enthusiasm. The book has an introductory 

 chapter describing- the external structure of 

 beetles, and another on their habits, as illustrated 

 by the Green Tiger beetle, the large water-beetle, 

 the burying beetles, the cockchafer, and so on. 

 Apart from some hints on collecting and mount- 

 ing, the rest of the book is de\oted to terse de- 



thing wrong. Holding this view, we ha\e alwavs 

 a welcome for a book like Mr. Lrquhart's "Odd 

 Hours with Nature," which was evidentlv written 

 with joy and sincerity. The aulli(;r take- us with 

 him on liis every week walks, and v,<- .niov hi-, 

 • -ompany as he shows us the tree-rrt.-cp.-r in thr 

 winter-woods, the supernumeraries (lja.;helor> 

 and widows?) of the rookery, the field wh.-rc the 

 hares tight, the trickery of the lapv. in.g, the 

 trustfulness of the young deer, the dipper wnlk- 

 ing on tlu- botton-; of the stream, and so on till 

 we come back to a queen humble-bee disturbed 

 in her winter retreat. There is nothing v.-rv pro- 

 found in the author's studies, but \hv\ are the 

 fruits of observation and rcfiection. written in 

 excellent style, expressing a love of nature and 

 contributing to its dit'fusion. We gixe an exairple 



Viz. 2. -I:; Sia- Gr: 



Hours w;;h Xa;ure.' 



scriptions of some of the commoner forms. These 

 descriptions are quite eft'ecti\-e, but we should 

 like to have had more information in regard to 

 habits. The coloured plates, whicli are on tlu- 

 whole very successful, will be of great service in 

 identification. It seems to us very unpractical to 

 put one of the plates on the cover. There arc 

 some interesting photographs, but that of the 

 trachea of Dytiscus does not show the structure 

 as it professes to do. We wish the book success. 

 (7) There is an intellectual discipline in nature 

 study and the possibility of learning certain 

 lessons which are for our good as citizens of the 

 world, but perhaps the surest gain is simplv an 

 increase In our love for the country. If nature 

 study does not lead towards this, there is some- 

 XO. 2348, VOL. 94] 



! Fig. 2} of tlie well-chosen illustrations with whicli 

 the studies are adorned. 



|S) It is said that many people have been led 

 i-\v the pathway of photography to an appreciation 

 oi the beauty of the world, and the book of 

 striking photographs of natural obiects which has 

 been published by the director of the "■ I'rania " 

 institute in Berlin should prove effecti\e in this 

 direction. It is a scientific picture-hook, display- 

 ing some of the most beautiful objects in the 

 world, many of which will be new and startling 

 to most people. The album illustrates the 

 exuberant decorativeness of Haeckers Radio- 

 larians. Medusa?, and Siphonopho.-es ; the 

 gracefulness of Allman's zoophytes: the futurism 

 of Lehmann's fluid crystals; the fascinating 



