November 1, 1897.] 



KNOWLEDGE 



279 



The Life Histories of the British 'Marine Food Fishes. By 

 Dr. W. C. Mcintosh, F.K.S., London and Edinburgh, 

 and A. T. Masterman, B.A., B.Sc. (Clay & Sons.) Illus- 

 trated. 21s. A few months ago we directed attention to 

 Mr. J. T. Cunningham's remarkably instructive work on 

 " British Marketable Fishes," prepared under the auspices 

 of the Marine Biological Association. We have here a 

 similar but not so popular a volume, emanating from the 

 Marine Laboratory of the University of St. Andrew's. 

 Between the marine biologists of the North and South 

 there is something of a spirit of rivalry, the result being 

 that each school is inclined to ignore, more or less, the 

 work of the other — or, at any rate, not overburden it with 

 praise. If, however, Mr. Cunningham's volume and the 

 present one be considered together, we get a satisfactory 

 account of the investigations into the life histories of 

 British marine food fishes, each work supplying what the 

 other lacks. When the important place which marine 

 food fishes occupy in the daily food supply of the country 



not hesitate to say that these life histories will be found 

 as valuable as they are interesting to aU who are engaged 

 in the fishing industry. Moreover, the professed naturalist 

 will find that the chapters constitute a useful epitome of 

 the present state of knowledge of the breeding habits, 

 migrations, and transformations of the species described. 

 The book is illustrated with numerous figures in the text, 

 and twenty partly coloured plates. It is undoubtedly a 

 valuable contribution to the literature of a subject the 

 importance of which, both economically and scientifically, 

 cannot be over-estimated. 



Bird Life. By Frank M. Chapman. (New York : 

 Appleton & Co.) Illustrated. Mr. Chapman is a well- 

 known American ornithologist, and his present book is a 

 model popular bird book : a model which writers of 

 popular works on our own birds would do well to examine 

 and copy. The author's plan, and the way in which this 

 plan is carried out, are beyond praise. In direct but 



Egg of Cod, with EmbrTo. 

 Lateral View. 



Embryo on Sixth Day. 

 Lateral View. 



More Advanced Embryo on 

 Sixth Bay. Ventral View. 



Embryo on Ninth Day. 

 Nearly Dorsal View. 



Advanced Embryo on 

 Ninth Day. 



Advanced Embryo. 

 Dorsal View. 



Move Advanced Embryo. 

 Dorsal View. 



Embryo on Ninth Day. 

 Nearly ready to hatih. 



Froui '• Life Histoiies of the British Marine Food Fishes." 



is remembered, the general ignorance of the habits and 

 development of the species of fish familiar to every house- 

 wife is somewhat surprising. In certain cases the 

 proverb, " Where ignorance is bliss 'tis folly to be wise,'' 

 may very well be applied ; for the diet of some of our 

 favourite food fishes is not of the daintiest character, and 

 the natural appearance of others is so repulsive that unless 

 it is disguised the sale would be seriously aifected. How- 

 ever, it is not for science to consider the aesthetic tastes of 

 an unreasoning public, and the volume under notice shows 

 what a large amount of interesting information has been 

 obtained with reference to the life histories of the fishes 

 used for our sustenance. The first part is devoted to 

 general remarks on pelagic eggs, and the various stages of 

 development into the larval and then the adult forms of 

 fishes. Following this is a semi-popular description of the 

 structural development of teleosteans (bony fishes), and a 

 chapter on the rate of growth of food fishes. This con- 

 cludes Part I., the remainder of the volume being taken 

 up with the life histories of the various species. We do 



comprehensive language, he gives, in his introduction, a 

 brief summary of a bird's place in nature and its relation 

 to man ; its evolution ; the form and uses of its different 

 parts ; the purposes and changes of its plumage ; its 

 migrations ; its song ; its reproduction ; and, finally, an 

 excellent chapter on the "field study " of birds — how to 

 identify them ; how to learn their habits ; and, above all, 

 how to make observations of value and interest. We 

 imhesitatingly pronounce this introduction as the best we 

 have ever seen for the purpose of teaching the beginner, 

 and opening the eyes of the very blindest to the value and 

 importance of studying birds, and to the interest and 

 healthy pleasure which that study wUl surely give. The 

 introduction is followed by brief but good descriptions of the 

 habits and forms of a number of the commoner American 

 birds. The illustrations by Mr. Ernest Seton Thompson 

 are very fine, and rival in excellence and exactness those 

 of Mr. Thorburn. That Mr. Thompson is a true lover 

 and keen observer of birds, as well as an artist, is evident, 

 for there is life in nearly all hia drawings. 



