NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 387 
certainly not more; therefore, I can safely state his height was not less 
than thirty-four palmos, or twenty-five feet six inches.” 
Now, with all deference to the translator, we are under the 
impression that “‘palmo” cannot mean a hand's span of nine 
inches, but the breadth of a palm, about four inches. This would 
make the height of the animal in question, not twenty-five feet six 
inches, but eleven feet four inches, which is consistent with the 
observations of the authorities we have cited. 
We need not criticise the Natural History portion of this 
narrative further than to say that it is the weakest portion of 
the book. During his thirteen years sojourn in Eastern Africa, 
Senhor Das Neves had splendid opportunities for studying the 
fauna and flora of the countries through which he travelled; 
but, for want of the requisite training, these opportunities were 
unfortunately lost. His book is chiefly valuable for the insight 
which it gives into the manners, customs, and superstitions of 
the tribes which he encountered. ‘The information which he has 
to impart is both instructive and amusing, and is given in a clear 
and fluent style, a merit which we suspect is due in a great 
measure to the translator, who seems to have performed her 
share of the work extremely well. 
The Birds of Guernsey and the Neighbouring Islands, Alderney, 
Sark, Jethou, Herm; being a Small Contribution to the 
Ornithology of the Channel Islands. By Crecit Surtu, F.Z.S. 
London: Porter. 1879. 
Ir is not a little surprising that until the appearance of the 
present volume we haye been without any reliable information on 
the Ornithology of the Channel Islands. Itis true thatin Professor ~ 
Ansted’s work on this group an attempt has been made to give’a list 
of the birds which were supposed to reside in or visit the islands; 
but this list is not satisfactory, since the excellent geologist by 
whom it was prepared made no pretensions to be an ornithologist, 
and was content to set down the name of every bird that was 
reported to him without furnishing any evidence of its occurrence. 
He enumerated 197 species as residing in or visiting the Channel 
Islands, but after careful enquiry Mr. Cecil Smith has come to 
