2972 THE Zootocist— Marcu, 1872. 
have been noticed by Mr. Gray. Of other rare stragglers from 
North America which have had for some time a place in our list of 
British birds, it is enough to say that, while Mr. Gray, from his own 
knowledge, is unable to add any recent examples of the pine gros- 
beak, he has recorded two undoubted specimens of the spotted 
sandpiper, which were shot in 1867 in Aberdeenshire. These were 
a male and a female, the former being now in Mr. Gray’s own 
possession. We were somewhat disappointed to find no notice of 
the greater shearwater (Puffinus major) in Mr. Gray’s book. This 
bird might well be expected to have a station somewhere on the 
north-west coast of Scotland. Some years ago we were told by 
Mr. Dunn, of Stromness, of a fishing-smack being attacked by a 
flock of greater shearwaters, which attempted to carry off the fish 
on board, and were with difficulty beaten off by the sailors after 
many had been killed. It is thus evident that the species frequents 
these northern seas, and we hoped to have heard of it from Mr. Gray. 
It is not a little singular that this shearwater, which used to be not 
uncommon off the coasts of Cornwall and South Devon,* is now 
seldom, if ever, seen in those districts. It may be that Puffinus 
major keeps far out to sea, and rarely approaches land, except at 
the nesting-season, or to roost on some rocky islets where it has 
escaped detection. 
In taking leave of Mr. Gray’s book, there only remains for us to 
add that it is well printed and well got up, and that the illustrations, 
which are lithographs, are very fairly executed. 
Morray A. MATHEW. 
Bishop’s Lydeard, January, 1872. 
Hints on Shore Shooting; with a Chapter on Skinning and 
Preserving Birds. By James Epmcnp Hartine, F.LS., 
F.Z.S. London: Van Voorst. 88 pp. demy 12mo. 
My friend Mr. Harting has done himself an injustice by the 
publication of this little book. Those who have read his masterly 
contributions to the ‘ Zoologist” and ‘ Field’ could never suppose 
Mr. Harting a disciple or compeer of Nathaniel Winkle, so happy 
in having a biographer whose matchless pen has conferred im- 
mortality on that illustrious professor of the noble art of venerie in 
* Our authority is Mr. Gould, in his magnificent work on British Birds. 
