178 



NATURE 



[June 21, 1900 



of England. Not only are many of the birds of the 

 northern districts normally strangers to the south, either 

 at one season of the year or at all times, but notable 

 differences in their habits are observable. Species, for 

 instance, that sing during winter in the south are silent 

 at that season further north ; while others that are per- 

 manent residents in the former area are migratory in the 

 latter. And it is certain that from an ornithological 

 point of view the northern counties are more interesting 

 than the southern — and more especially the south-western 

 counties. 



. In the treatment of his subject, Mr. Dixon has acted 

 wisely in abandoning a systematic classification in favour 

 of a grouping by means of " station," so that we have 

 chapters on the birds of the upland streams, of the moors, 

 the mountains, the heaths and marshes, the forests and 

 copses, the farm and the garden, the river and pool, the 

 sea and the beach, and the crag and sea-cliff. By this 

 arrangement a much more discursive and "chatty" style 

 of writing is permissible than would otherwise have been 

 the case. The reader is accordingly spared a repetition 

 of the descriptions of the various species of which we 



The Dotterell. (From Dixon's "Among the Birds in Northern Shire: 



have already more than enough ; and the author has 

 also seen fit to abandon the use of technical names, 

 and to content himself with the English titles of the birds 

 mentioned. 



Much of the attraction of the book is due to the ex- 

 quisite portraits of birds in their haunts from the 

 accomplished pencil of Mr. C. Whymper. Where all are 

 good it is difficult to select examples for special commend- 

 ation, but the black-cock crowing is one that strikes our 

 own fancy, and the two cuts that we are enabled, by the 

 courtesy of the publishers, to reproduce, will serve as 

 good examples of the general style of illustration. If we 

 mistake not, the figure of the raven is very hke one that 

 has appeared elsewhere. 



In the chapter on the birds of the upland streams an 

 excellent account is given of the habits of the water-ouzel 

 or dipper ; and here the author appears, for once, to have 

 caught Prof. Newton "tripping." In his "Dictionary 

 of Birds" the origin of the name "dipper" is attributed 

 by the Cambridge ornithologist to the wiiter of the letter- 

 press of Bewick's " British Birds," but Mr. Dixon points 



NO. 1599, VOL. 62] 



out that it occurs in a work published as far back as 1771, 

 and a later issue of which was actually edited by the 

 learned professor himself! 



An especial feature of all the author's works is his own 

 practical experience of birds in their native haunts ; and 

 all who have had bird-nesting adventures in their own 

 early days will read with delight the description, on p. 136, 

 of his ascent of a lofty oak to secure a clutch of buzzard's 

 eggs, which were safely carried down. In making friends, 

 during his youthful days, with both poachers and game- 

 keepers, Mr. Dixon seems indeed to have had an almost 

 unique experience, and one whereby his practical 

 acquaintance with the ways of birds was largely aug- 

 mented. He has many stories to tell of the wanton 

 manner in which he has known keepers fire into the nests 

 of brooding birds and otherwise inflict destruction on 

 what they are pleased to denominate " vermin." In regard 

 to these latter, he urges (p. 151) that our indigenous 

 native game-birds would thrive all the better if hawks, 

 crows, magpies, owls and the like were left unmolested. 

 The pheasant, he thinks, however, might not fare so well ; 

 but, he adds in effect, perish the pheasant ! This, how- 

 ever, we venture to suggest, is scarcely a 

 practical way of looking at things. If 

 pheasant-preserving were to be given up, 

 our coverts would not be guarded at all, 

 and many of the other birds would be ten 

 times worse off than they are under the 

 present regime. 



Not the least interesting chapter in a 

 very interesting book is the final one on 

 bird migration in the northern counties, 

 where, instead of a learned discussion on 

 the theory of migration, we have an actual 

 account of the manner in which the swarms 

 of autumn and spring migrants reach and 

 leave our coasts. Here the author re- 

 marks that the short-eared owl and the 

 woodcock frequently reach the Wash to- 

 gether, making the passage, from the 

 Continent during the same night, although 

 the one just skims the water while the 

 other flies high in the air. And many 

 other passages attests the author's close 

 observation of the movements of birds. It 

 is to be wished, however, that he would 

 employ the familiar name hedge-sparrow 

 in place of the pedantic hedge-accentor. 

 The term sparrow, as Prof Newton re- 

 marks, was probably originally applied 

 to all our smaller birds ; and it is surely 

 an unwarrantable assumption on the part 

 of ornithologists to traverse popular usage 

 its restriction to the members of the 

 R. L. 



and attempt 



restricted genus Passer. 



NOTES. 



The delegates to the third biennial conference in connection 

 with the International Catalogue of Scientific Literature were 

 entertained at dinner by the Royal Society as we went to press 

 last week. In the course of the evening several interesting 

 speeches were made in proposing and responding to toasts. 

 Prof. Forsyth, in proposing " International Science," referred 

 to the great empire of science, the possessions and achievements 

 of which are intended for the welfare of all men. Prof. Darboux 

 responded for France, Prof. Klein for Germany, and Prof. Weiss 

 for Austria. The toast of " The Delegates to the Conference " 

 was proposed by Sir John Gorst and responded to by Prof. 

 Ciamician (Italy), Dr. Graf (Switzerland), and Dr. Brunchorst 

 (Norway). Sir Michael Foster proposed the toast of ' ' The 

 Guests," which was responded to by Lord Strathcona ; and the 



