''%,^-] Reviews. . 65 



The only thing that offends the artistic eye in the production 

 of this little work — a circumstance over which the author had 

 apparently no control — is its typographical errors, which are 

 too numerous to be excused. Liberties have also been taken 

 with technical terms. Why insert hyphens between the generic 

 and specific names ? If master printers place important matter 

 in the hands of their juniors, they (the printers) can only expect 

 to receive adverse criticism. The publication was also worthy 

 of better paper, which would have been an advantage to the 

 excellent photographs that were freely interspersed throughout 

 its pages. A few copies still remain, which may be had at half 

 price — 3s, 6d. — on application to the author. 



[" A History of the Biids of Kent," by Norman F. Ticehurst. Witherby and Co., 

 London. 21s. net.] 



The author of this handsome volume, which to a British 

 ornithologist should prove of much interest, undertook its 

 preparation sixteen years ago. His stated reasons for adding 

 to the great library of books on British bird-life are the 

 importance of Kent from an ornithological point of view and the 

 fact that no history of its avifauna as a whole has ever before been 

 produced. Two other works of a similar nature have appeared 

 since Mr. Ticehurst commenced the task he has now so success- 

 fully accomplished, but his book is far from being superfluous 

 on that account. 



The history, status, distribution, and migratory movements of 

 each species are dealt with in a concise and lucid manner, and, 

 reading some of the chapters, one longs for such a history of 

 the birds of Victoria or any other State of the Commonwealth. 



The area of Kent is about 1,554 square miles ; there is a 

 great length of coast-line, and " nearly all parts of the country 

 are enriched by extensive woodland tracts and coppices 

 and by park-like lands surrounding ancient country seats." 

 " Besides being one of the most beautiful counties in England, 

 Kent is essentially an agricultural county, and is in parts highly 

 cultivated." Nearly half of the total area of 995,014 acres 

 consists of permanent pasture. Yet Kent is one of the finest 

 parts of England for the bird observer. Of the 107 species of 

 birds which breed regularly in the county, 37 are purely 

 summer visitors, and 70 may be found throughout the year. 



The book is excellently printed and bound, but the half-tone 

 illustrations, of which there are twenty-four, leave something to 

 be desired. The frontispiece, for instance, representing a pair of 

 Kentish Plover at their nest, is evidently from a beautiful and 

 interesting photograph, to which the reproduction has not done 

 full justice. 



