382 Recently published Ornithological Works. 



venient basis for future labourers to build upon, and will, 

 no doubt, be very convenient for the energetic votaries of 

 our special branch of Zoology in South Africa, who have, 

 as we know, already established a " South African Orni- 

 thologists' Union," in order to bring together those interested 

 in the study of birds in the various parts of the neighbouring 

 Colonies. They have also instituted a new Journal to record 

 the results of their observations. We have no fear, there- 

 fore, for the future progress of the study of Birds in this 

 portion of the British Empire. 



55. Scott's Voyage of the ' Discovery? 



[The Voyage of the 'Discovery.' By Captain Robert F. Scott, 

 C.V.O., R.N. In two volumes. London : Smith Elder & Co., 1905. 

 Price £2 2s. net.] 



The narrative of the voyage of the National Antarctic 

 Expedition does not, perhaps, come strictly within the 

 category of " Ornithological Publications." But Captain 

 Scott makes so many allusions to birds in his text, and 

 gives us such excellent illustrations of Antarctic bird-life, 

 that we feel bound to mention the work. Besides, in an 

 appendix to the second volume will be found an excellent 

 summary of the knowledge acquired of the Birds of the Ross 

 Sea and Victoria Land, written by Dr. Edward A. Wilson, 

 which clearly necessitates a notice in this Journal. 



Amongst the many attractive bird-drawings from Dr. 

 Wilson's facile pencil interspersed in the narrative are 

 ''Scrambling for Scraps" and the "Penguins' Road" in 

 the first volume. It is, indeed, wonderful that these "pushing, 

 energetic little birds" should choose to mount the steep and 

 slippery hill-sides to a height of a thousand feet to make 

 their nests. In the second volume the Skuas and their 

 ways are well shown at p. 176. It was known to us that 

 Penguin-flesh was much appreciated in the high latitudes of 

 the South, as affording an abundant supply of succulent 

 meat, but it was quite a new discovery that the u unclean 

 carrion-feeding Skua" might be placed in the same category. 

 In March 1903 the sportsmen of the 'Discovery' shot 

 over five hundred of these birds to be put in store for the 



