150 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
find a better account of Wolf-hunting in France than that which 
is given by Col. Thornton in his ‘ Sporting Tour in France,’ 
a work with which “ Wildfowler” ought to make himself 
acquainted.* Of his own book we have probably said enough to 
convince those of similar tastes that they will find a good deal 
to amuse them in these reminiscences of our enthusiastic 
sportsman. 
English Folk-Lore. By the Rev. T. F. Tutsexrron Dyer, M.A.,, 
London: Hardwicke & Bogue. 1878. Post 8vo. 
AcruaTED apparently by the impulse which, a year ago, 
prompted the formation of an English Folk-Lore Society, 
Mr. Dyer has sent forth the pleasantly-written little volume 
before us. We are candidly told in the Preface that it is not 
intended to be exhaustive, but has been written with a view of 
giving the reader information in a popular form about some of 
those superstitions that still linger on here and there throughout 
the country. There is no doubt that considerably more might 
be written on the subject, and has been written in scattered 
volumes, than is contained in the present work, but we are 
none the less grateful for the instalment here presented to us. 
The chapters with which we are chiefly concerned are those 
on Birds (chap. iii.), Animals (chap. iv.), and Insects and 
Reptiles (chap. v.). Birds are in most countries the subject of a 
very varied folk-lore, and the superstitious and credulous have 
generally discovered in their movements omens and prognosti- 
cations of coming events. It is often extremely difficult to trace 
superstition of any kind to their source; but those connected 
with birds, like all others, no doubt have frequently originated 
in isolated occurrences. Thus, in ancient times, if a certain bird 
was seen to fly over a city just before a calamity of any kind, it was 
ever after regarded as a bird of ill-omen and shunned as such. 
Amongst the birds noticed by Mr. Dyer the Cuckoo receives 
the most attention, and many popular legends concerning it are 
given. Most of these are well known, and need not be quoted 
here. We may remark, however, that Mr. Dyer does not always 
* © A Sporting Tour through various parts of France in the year 1802: including 
a Concise Description of the Sporting Establishments, Mode of Hunting and other 
field-amusements as practised in that country.’ 2 vols. 4to. 1806. 
