February 1, 1901.] 



KNOWLEDGE. 



13 



BOOKS RECEIVED. 



Tie Complete Worls of John Keats. Vol. II. lulitcil by H. 

 Buiton Foriunn. (Glasgow: Gowans & Gray.) 



Text-Book of Zooloifu. Part IIT.—Inrertebrafes. By Dr. Otto 

 Sehmeil. (A. & C. Black.) Illustrated. 3s. (id. 



itottern Chemistrif— Theoretical, j By William Hanisiiv, D sc. 

 (Dent.) Is. net. 



ilotlerit Cheiitistrji — Systematic. By William Ramsay, D.Sf. 

 (Dent.) Is. net. 



Practical Enlarging. By Joliii A. Hodges, v.u r.s. (Uiffe, Sons 

 i Sturmey.) lUustratod. Is. net. 



Periodic Classification and the Problem of Chemical Evolution. 

 Bv George Rudorf, B.sc. (AVliittaker ) Illustrated, -ts. 6d. 



'The Self-Educator in Latin. By W. A. Edward, M..I. (Self- 

 Kdueator Series.) (Uodder it Stoughton.) 2s. Pd. 



Primer of A-itronomu. By Sir Robert Ball, Ll.D., iMi.s. (Cam- 

 bridge Seienee Primers.) (Cambridge : rniveisity Press ) Is. (kl. net. 



The French Revolution. By Thomns Carlyle. (Win-il, Loek.) 2s. 



England's Seglect of Science. By Prof. John Puny, M.E., u.sc , 

 y.K.s. (Fisher riiwin.) 2s. lid. net. 



Iinitatioii : or The Mimetic Force in 2fafure and Human Nature. 

 By Richard Steel. (Simpkin. Marshall.) 3s. 



Smithsonian Institution. Annual Report of the JBoard of Regents. 



Smithsonian Institution. Report of the U.S. National Museum. 



Lunar Theorg, Lectures on the. By John Couch Adam?. M A., 

 F.B s. (Cambridge: University Press). 



What is Life .' By Frederick Hovenden, F.L.S., F.G.8 . v.lt.M.s. 

 (Chapman & Hall.) iflusti-atcd. r^». 



Do ire I'arg in Weight at Different Times in the Day ! By \\ . 

 W. Wagstaffe, B.A , r.R c.s (Adlard k Sou.) 



In Nature's Workshop. By Grant Allen. (Newnes.) 111. 3s. (id. 



Edible British Fungi, An Annotated Catalogue of. By E. W. 

 Swanton. (Huddersfield : The Museum Press.) 2s. Gd. net. 



Whence and Whither. By Dr. Paul Carus. (Kegan Paul.) 3s. (id. 



MlTIStt f 



ORNtTttOLOGICA 





Conducted by Haeey F. Witheeby, f.z.s., m.b.o.u. 



The Shrike's ' Lardee." — At the meetiiif; of the 

 British Ornithologists' Club, held in December, l!)OU, 

 a very interesting discussion rook place on the nature 

 and use of the "larders" made by Shrikes. Mr. Hartert 

 and the Rev. H. A. Maepherson believed that the 

 victims Tvere generally impaled for the greater con- 

 venience of tearing them in pieces. Mr. Howard Saunders 

 was, however, inclined to think that it was intended 

 as a reserve of food for the young birds. The motive 

 for the " larder " is certainly somewhat obscure. More 

 observation on the point is needed, and those who have 

 opportunities for observing Shrikes would do well to 

 carefiilly examine the ''larders" and endeavour to discover 

 the object of the birds in forming them. These " larders " 

 are rarely of any size, and usually consist of only one or 

 two objects impaled, nor are these necessarily near the 

 nest of the bird, indeed they are usually found away from 

 the nest. It seems doubtful too if the birds have ever 

 been observed to revisit and devour any insect, animal or 

 bird they have impaled. — H. F. W. 



Tawny Owl in Ireland (Irish Naturalist, January, 1901, p. 2t).— 

 Mr. Robert Patterson records that a Tawny Owl (Syrnium alucoj was 



shot on NovcmlMsr IBth, 1900, in a wood in Belvoir Park, co. Down, 

 and sent to him in the llesh for inspection. The bird -was shot by a 

 gamekeeper merely for the purpose of filling an empty glass ease. 

 This is the first authentic record of the Tawny Owl in Ireland, and 

 the only question is, was the bird an escape. On this point Mr. 

 Patterson says that the plumage showed no trace of confinement, 

 and that the stomach contained the remains of a full-grown rat. 

 The bn'd was a female. 



Pectoral Sandpiper in Ireland. — At the Deceiid)er meeting of the 

 British Ornithological Club, Mr. Howard Saunders exhibited, on behalf 

 of Mr. E. Williams, of Dublin, a specimen of the Pectoral Sandpiper 

 {Heteropugia maculaid). Tlie bird was a young one, and was shot 

 early in October, 1900, at BelmuUct, in co. Mayo. Allhougli this 

 American wader has often occurred in England it has only once before 

 been recorded for Ireland. 



On some Migratory and other Birds olseroed in Southern Shetland 

 in September, 1900. By AVm. Eagle Clarke, p.l.s., and T. G. 

 Laidlaw, m.u.o.u. (Annals of Scott. Nat. Hist., January, 19(11, 

 p)). 5 — 12). This is an interesting and valuable paper because, although 

 the Shctlaiuls have been long and thoroughly hunted by egg colleetoi's, 

 and the breeding birds are consequently well known, present knowledge 

 of the migratory ino\enients of the buvls fhen^ is extremely scanty. 

 The authors of these notes have added considerably to the little 

 that is known by their short stay in September last. Perhaps the 

 most valuable observations were made in connection witli the White 

 W^agtail ( Motacilla alba). In his report on the migrations of birds 

 to the last meeting of the British Association (see KnowI/Bdoe, 

 January, 1901, y. 18). Mr. Clarke exjiresscd the opinion that the lloeks 

 of Pied Wagtails, said by Saxby to arrive in Unst in the autumn, would 

 be found to be composed of White Wagtails. This surniise proved 

 correct, as a number of White Wagtails were observed b}' the authors 

 of these notes on the coasts of the southern portion of tlu' main island. 

 The umuber of other interesting observations of various species 

 recorded in Messrs. Clarke and l^aidlaw's paper show that visits 

 by careful observers to the Shetlands during the migration season ave 

 sure to prove of value. 



Notes on the White Wagtail ('Motacilla alba. L.J in the South- 

 east of Scotland. By William Evans, f.k.s.k. (Annals of Scott. Nat. 

 Hist., January, 1901, pp. 12 — 15). These notes are of interest when 

 read in conjunction with Mr. Clarke's British Association paper on 

 the migrations of the White Wagtail. 



Notes on the Great Shearwater. Bv Howard Saunders (^nna/.5 nf 

 Scott. Nat. Hist , January. 1901, pp. 15 — ISl. Mr. Saunders hero 

 gives his authority with full particulars for his statement that the 

 Great Shearwater on aliglitini; "strikes the water with great violence, 

 in a manner quite different from that of a gull, and then dives." 

 This habit of the bird had been noted by Captain J. W. Collins, who 

 hail had "exceptional opportuniries, extending over many years, for 

 observing the aforesaid Shearwaters upon the fishing banks " off the 

 Eastern coa.-t of iNorth America Mr. Robert Wanvn had also noted 

 the hibit. in som- (treat Shearwaters which he observed in Irehind 

 in 1893. The breeding place of this bird, by the way, has yet to be 

 discovered. 



Fulmar breeding at Cape Wrath. (".-innals of Scoff. Nat. Hist., 

 January, 1901, p. 50.) .VI r. Howard Saunders records that on July 

 10th. 1900, when passing close under Cape Wrath, " several Fulmars 

 came circling round the yacht, and then w'ent to the grassy plopes, 

 on which we could see, with our glasses, birds which we had no doubt 

 were Fulmars, sitting." Mr. Saunders adds, " The Eulmar may well 

 be spreading, for at Soa (St. Kilda), on the 22nd of same month, there 

 seemed to be more than ever." 



Nest of Young Starlings in Winter (Nature, January 10th, I'JOl, 

 p. 252). " R. H. F." writes to Nature on January 8th, as follows : — 

 " While a friend was walking through his fields near Broxbourue on 

 Sunday afternoon, the (ith inst., he noticed a Starling flying towards 

 an old elm with some food in its bill, and on going up to the tree he 

 found a nest containing young birds. No doubt they are dead by this 

 time, on account of the severe cold, and the dilliculty the old birds 

 found in obtaining food for them." 



The Origin and Meaning of the Names of British Jiirds. By A. II. 

 Meiklejohn (Zoologist, November, 1900, pp. 511-516). In this paper 

 the author gives some interesting particulars of the derivation of 

 certain popular names of birds. Many names are imitative of 

 the birds' cries, others refer to their colours or some distinctive 

 characteristic, but the origin of many names is obscure and un- 

 satisfactory, while that of some, such as the gull, auk, and garganey 

 seems to be quite unknown. 



All contributions to the column, either in the way of notes 

 or plwtograph.^, should be forwarded to Harry F. Witherby, 

 at 1, Eliot Place, Blaclclieath, Ketit. 



