March 5, 1903] 



NA TURE 



419 



much more than local importance. It has already af- 

 forded the magnetic staff of the Discovery a most 

 valuable opportunity of comparing their instruments and 

 practising their use in southern latitudes, of which they 

 fully availed themselves, and when it comes to dealing 

 with the magnetic data of the Antarctic expeditions, the 

 Christchurch records should prove invaluable. 



The public spirit and the appreciation of scientific aims 

 shown by the New Zealand Government in providing the 

 necessary funds for erecting and maintaining the observ- 

 atory is of happy augury. It shows that war is not the 

 only department in which the colony is anxious to come 

 to the front. 



Though hardly referred to in the " Report," mention 

 may also be made of the fact that, prior to the erection of 

 the observatory, Dr. Farr took magnetic observations 

 with the instruments lent by the Royal Society at about 

 150 stations scattered over New Zealand, about half in 

 each of the two principal islands. This constitutes an 

 important contribution to the complete magnetic survey 

 of New Zealand, which Dr. Farr puts forward as part of 

 the programme which he intends to prosecute as circum- 

 stances allow. The objects which Dr. Farr has in view 

 will meet with warm sympathy from all interested in the 

 extension of our knowledge of terrestrial magnetism, and 

 it is to be hoped that his efforts will meet with the con- 

 tinued support necessary for their complete realisation. 



Charles Chree. 



THE KEARTON SELBORNE} 



GILBERT WHITE'S famous natural history classic 

 has already seen something over eighty editions, 

 and the appearance of yet another may be taken as a 

 sure indication that its popularity shows no signs of 

 waning. Indeed, in the?e days of " nature-teaching," it 

 is quite likely to become, if possible, more widely read 

 than ever, since there are few works in the English 

 language better calculated to show the value of the in- 

 telligent use of the eyes or better suited to aid in the 

 cultivation of the powers of observation. If anything 

 could increase the popularity of one of the most popular 

 books in the world, it would be the addition of illustra- 

 tions of a modern type, faultless in execution and appro- 

 priate in subject. To furnish such pictures, no living 

 artists, we venture to say, are better qualified than the 

 Messrs. Kearton. Their success in this particular in- 

 stance speaks, as usual, for itself; and we shall perhaps 

 best serve the interests of both artists and publishers if 

 we ask those of our readers who may be disposed to 

 doubt our words to judge for themselves. 



It should, however, be stated that this edition of 

 White is a low-priced one, intended for the general 

 public, and in no sense an edition de luxe. It is of 

 small size and printed in small type, and most of the 

 illustrations are therefore of necessity also on a rather 

 microscopic scale. In the case of views of the village 

 and the neighbouring' country, such as that of old 

 cottages on p. SS, this detracts but little, if at all, from 

 their effectiveness ; but it must be confessed that some 

 of the photographs of bird-life, such as the one of an 

 osprey and its nest on p. 78, would have been improved 

 had it been practicable to reproduce them on a some- 

 what larger scale. 



In his introduction, the editor claims that the illustra- 

 tions are in closer touch with the spirit of the author 

 than any which have previously appeared, and this we 

 can fully endorse. What, for instance, could better 

 illustrate White's observations on the young cuckoo and 

 its foster-parents than the exquisite photograph on 



1 "The Natural History of Selborne." By Gilbert White. With notes 

 by R. Kearton and illustrations by C. and R. Kearton. Pp. xvi -)- 294. 

 (London : Cassell and Co., Ltd., 1902.) Price 6s. td. 



p. 130 of a sedge-warbler watching one of these usurpers 

 which has expelled the rightful occupants of the nest ? 

 Or what could be more appropriate to the author's account 

 of the Selborne ring-ousels than the illustration (herewith 

 reproduced) of these birds feeding their young ? — an 

 illustration actually taken in the Selborne country, which 

 cost the Messrs. Kearton at least a week's watching to 

 obtain. At the risk of being considered hypercritical, 

 we cannot, however, refrain from mentioning that the 

 photograph of swallows on a telegraph-wire (p. 139) is 

 somewhat of an anachronism in an eighteenth-century 

 work. Again, on p. 35, a figure of harvest-mice and 

 their nest would have been much better than the one of 

 common mice ; but perhaps to obtain the former was 

 impossible even to a Kearton. We also think that a 

 photograph of a fallow-buck with fully developed antlers 

 should have replaced the one on p. 27, in which these 

 appendages are less than half-grown. In other respects, 

 we have nothing but commendation to bestow on the 

 illustrations, both as regards subject and execution. 



Although brief, Mr. R. Kearton's notes are very much 

 to the point, and give all the information required by 

 ordinary readers in regard to modern emendations on 

 White's zoological determinations. We note, however, 

 that the editor has not seen fit to follow modern views in 



NO. 174O, VOL. 67] 



Fig. 1. — Ring-ousels eeding their young. From the Kearton " Selborne 

 (Cassell and Co., Ltd.) 



regard to the nomenclature of bats. The book appears 

 singularly free from misprints (although we notice an 

 unfortunate one on p. xiv.) and is admirably got up. 

 It would be an insult to say that it is calculated to add to 

 the Kearton reputation, since this is an impossibility, and 

 we can do no more than commend it to the attention of 

 all in search of an attractive gift-book. R. L. 



RECENT CONFERENCES BETWEEN SCIENCE 

 MASTERS AND EXAMINERS. 



DURING the past year or so signs have not been 

 wanting that the unfortunate separation between 

 teaching and examining, which has so often been de- 

 plored, is likely, before very long, to be either mended 

 or ended. And we think that both the representatives of 

 the Universities and the subcommittee of the Public 

 School Science Masters' Association are to be con- 

 gratulated on the new departures that were made at 

 Cambridge on Saturday, February 7, and Oxford on 

 Saturday, February 14, when they met at conferences 

 summoned by the Vice-Chancellors of the respective 

 Universities, to consider the question of entrance 

 scholarships in the natural sciences given at the several 



