liihlt'oiirdpliicdl Xufirfs. Ciii'J 



B115L10GJIAP1IICAL NOTICES. 



Monor/ritph of the Lacertiditj, By 0. A. Boulenqkr, F.K.S. Vol, IF. 

 British Must'ura (Xutural History), 1921. Pp. viii 4-451. 

 I'rice £3. 



Volume I. of this ^fonograph, published in 1920, dealt with Xiia'os, 

 Lacerta, and Algiroules; Volume II. deals with the remaining 

 nineteen genera — I'hilochortus to /Johispis. Appended is a complete 

 Catalogue of the specimens in the iiritish Museum Collection, com- 

 prising over 5000, referable to about 20(J species and varieties. In 

 the tabulations of dimensions and scale-formula) which are given 

 thro\ighout the work numbers of other specimens are also included, 

 each marked with a symbol denoting the museum in which it is to 

 be found ; so that in future the student will bo able to find any one 

 individual for reference from among this vast material. In this it 

 is an infinitely more comi)rehcnsive work than anything of its kind 

 hitherto pul/lished, and its value can hardly be overrated. The 

 general arrangement is clear and convenient. From the systematic 

 and philosophic standpoints it constitutes a magnificent piece of 

 work, for it gives one a sound orientation of this difficult group of 

 lizards, so bafiiing to the novice. So many authors present their 

 subject to the reader in a biassed form, suppressing evidence or hypo- 

 theses which do not corroborate their own views. Dr. Boulenger 

 never misleads in this way. Moot points are brought forward as 

 such and fully discussed. In dealing with the diphyletic origin of 

 Scctj'tira, for instance, the natural relationships of the Asiatic and 

 South African species are clearly expressed, and his reasons for 

 maintaining them as distinct genera given ; at the same time ho 

 discusses the principle involved, and adds : — " If, however, objection 

 should be felt to the course here followed, I would suggest uniting 

 the two genera into one, keeping up the different sections as here 

 defined, rather than a further multiplication of the genera" (p. 348). 

 Herpetologists all over the world will sincerely regret that the 

 • Monograph of the Lacertidie ' is probably the final work on Zoology 

 from the pen of Dr. Boulenger. In all he has published 29 com- 

 plete volumes and 875 papers ; there is, however, still much to be 

 done, and no one will fill the gap which he has left by his retirement. 



The Complete Nature Bool; a complete Handhool- and Guide to British 

 Nature Stmhj, emh'aciwj the Mammnh, Birds, Reptdet, Fish, 

 Insects, Plants, etc., in the United Kingdom. By S. N. Sedgwick. 

 Pp. X and 495, pis. 40 (some coloured), and numerous text- 

 figures. T. C. and E. C. Jack, Ltd., London and Edinburgh. 

 Price 12s. 6J. net. 



This book, as the Author states in the Preface, is very largely a 

 compilation, and this must necessarily be the case in a work dealing 

 with such a variety of subjects. In Part I., the " Animal World," 



