NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. zi 
“From the year 1865 to the present, in connection with explorations 
undertaken on behalf of the Geological Survey of Canada, I have 
had unusual facilities for field observation, and have traversed the 
greater part of that portion of Ontario which may be described as 
lying between the Ottawa river and its sources, and the St. Lawrence 
and its great lakes, a region the interior of which is but thinly 
settled, and comparatively unknown; also a large part of the 
country lying to the northward of the Ottawa river, between the 
Lake of Two Mountains and Pembroke.” The author further 
informs us that he considers that the Ornithology of Canada has 
received a very fair share of attention from naturalists both at home 
and abroad. In this opinion, however, we cannot concur, for at 
present Canada compares in this respect very unfavourably with 
the United States. We therefore welcome with pleasure this first 
instalment of a work on the birds of that country, for we trust that 
Mr. Vennor will receive such an amount of appreciation as will 
induce him to continue his publications on this interesting subject. 
He is properly impressed with the difficulties which always attend 
the production of an ornithological work in these days of multiplied 
synonymy and many books, which he does well not to force upon 
his readers, and he is not content with the mere descriptions of 
the birds, but he also brings forward the characteristic details of 
the whole order Raptores, so that this work would give any student 
a good general idea of the birds of prey. This is to our mind one 
of the great recommendations of the volume; but Mr. Vennor has 
not thoroughly succeeded in impressing us with the advantages of 
photographic illustrations for an ornithological work. As speci- 
mens of photography the plates executed by Mr. Notman are 
admirable, but the stuffed specimens which are photographed are 
very unequal in merit. For those, however, who are inclined to 
adopt this mode of illustration, we will quote, in justice to himself, 
the authors words, “On the Attitude and Form of the Birds 
figured” :— 
“These are points requiring a great deal of attention in the photo- 
graphing of stuffed specimens, and respecting which I have already been 
brought to task by a few of my naturalist friends, to whom some of the 
plates were shown. My experience, however, among naturalists has been 
that no two agree as touching any position which may be chosen for a bird ; 
and consequently no plates, no matter how perfectly executed, could please 
all, Besides I have invariably found that those who find most fault in 
