November 16, 1905] 



NA TURE 



5i 



The journal for July 7, 1875, gives an artificial 

 table for distinguishing- the downs of ten species of 

 ducks, and that is the kind of minute detail more 

 of which we would gladly have welcomed. It is also 

 to the point to be told of the curious antics of the 

 Arctic (Richardson's) skuas : — 



" The birds often alighted within fifteen yards of 

 me, raised the wings over the back — when they did 

 this the white or dusky quills showed like a patch 

 upon the raised wings — shammed lameness and sick- 

 ness, and stood reeling from side to side as if mortally 

 wounded. If I followed them, thev continued to try 

 and lead me off; but if I again approached the nest, 

 they flew boldlv towards me, and stooped repeatedly." 



There are some vivid pictures of the tundra and 

 its birds, there is an interesting account of the 

 Samoyedes, and there are some instructive notes on 

 the habits both of birds and men, for all of which 

 one is grateful, wishing- only that there had been 

 more of this wheat and less of the journalistic chaff. 



PRACTICAL SEA-FISHING. 

 Practical Sea-Fishing. A Handbook for Sea Anglers. 

 By P. L. Haslope. Pp. 274; illustrated. (London: 

 Upeott Gill, 1905.) Price 3s. 6d. 



SEA fishing is not a new form of sport, nor is it 

 a subject which has been neglected bv authors. 

 We have several excellent works on it, such as " Sea 

 Fishing " by " John Bickerdyke " in the Badminton 

 Library series, and " Sea Fishing on the English 

 Coasts " 1>\- Aflalo, so that a new book requires some 

 justification for its production. 



The work under review is perhaps worthy of a 

 place in the sea fisherman's library, but it is, in our 

 opinion, in no way fitter to occupy that position than 

 either of the books already mentioned. It is obviouslv 

 written by a practical sea-fisherman who has tested 

 most, it not all. of tin- methods of rod and line fish- 

 ing which he recommends ; but it is as obviouslv 

 written by a man whose experience has been mostly 

 confined to the south coast, as south coast methods 

 are much more often referred to than those of other 

 parts of the country. 



The author does not, however, appear to be so 

 conversant with some of the methods of net-fishing 

 which he discusses as he is with those of rod and line 

 fishing. For instance, he considers the otter-trawl 

 " a much more manageable net " for the amateur 

 than the beam-trawl, a point we think open to doubt. 

 It is true that the otter-trawl is more easily stowed 

 away on board, but we think that its advantage over 

 the beam-trawl for the amateur ends there, especiallv 

 if the vessel- is not a steamer. The difficultv of 

 getting the otter-trawl to spread out and of getting 

 it to fish properly is only known to those who have 

 tried, and we should certainly recommend the amateur 

 to use a beam-trawl, which, it is true, may capsize 

 when being lowered, but otherwise will always fish 

 when down. 



When Mr. Haslope touches upon natural historv 

 or the habits of sea-fish he is clearly not so much 

 at home as when he is discussing methods of capture. 

 NO. l88l, VOL. 7_}J 



For instance, he refers to the angel fish, Rhina 

 squatina, as a species of ray. He mixes up Atherina 

 presbyter, the sand-smelt, and Osmerus eperlanus, the 

 true smelt, and savs " the Atherine, or sand-smelt, is 

 the variety generally met with " (p. 100). In speak- 

 ing of the sand-eel, he says : — " Any not required for 

 bait should be fried and eaten, as they form a delicious 

 article of food when in roe, but are not so good in 

 winter " (p. 52). In our experience the sand-eel 

 breeds in the winter; but perhaps Mr. Haslope means 

 that after they have spawned the)- are not so good. 

 Ih- -.ays of the grey mullet that "they feed chiefly 

 on some kinds of sea-weed and decaying vegetable 

 matter " (p. 95). It is true that algaB are occasionally, 

 and perhaps often, found in the stomachs of grey 

 mullet, but we should put down the staple food of 

 the species as being animal. If we recollect rightly, 

 in the aquarium at the Plymouth laboratory these fish 

 are fed chiefly upon nereid worms. Day savs that 

 they are very destructive to molluscs and minute 

 Crustacea, and that they also eat larva; and ova 

 (" Brit. Fishes." I., p. 234). 



The English of the book is not all that can be 

 desired, and badly arranged sentences are far too 

 common. For instance, " In form this fish is very 

 slender and its shape has some resemblance to that of 

 a large sand-eel. which enables it to pursue its prey 

 with great rapidity " (p. 50). " Great quantities of 

 tins, crabs are taken in trammels and the shell on 

 the back is so sharp and rough that it quickly cuts 

 the twine, sometimes damaging the nets almost 

 beyond repair. They are generally thrown away or 

 used as manure for the gardens " (p. 60). 



The directions as to skinning a ray arc exceedingly 

 involved : — 



" To skin a Ray, remove a small portion with a 

 sharp knife and grasp it with an old cloth in the 

 left hand. This affords a firm hold, and by its means 

 the whole skin can be readily stripped off. Mean- 

 while hold the fish firmly with the right hand, making 

 with a knife a hole, or an incision, to enable the 

 fingers to obtain a firm grip. Leave it upon the board 

 in the open air with the flesh side upwards, and when 

 drv it will have attained the consistency of horn, 

 &c. ..." (p. 68). 



We prefer the old books on the subject of sea fish- 

 ing, although, as we have said, the practical advice 

 in the present work is thoroughly sound. 



Frank Balfolr Browm:. 



MATTER AM) FORCE. 



(1) Molecular Forces and Newtonian Laws. Bv Alex. 

 Clark. Pp. 237; illustrated. (Glasgow: W. and 

 R. Holmes, 1905.) Price js. t,d. net. 



(2) Explication mechanique de la Matiere, de 

 I'Electricite et du Magnetisme. Bv M. Despaux. 

 Pp. 210. (Paris: Felix Alcan, 1905.) 



(1) " DV deductions from the Newtonian Laws of 

 -L* Force and Motion the Author accounts for 

 all the facts of Magnetism, Electricity and Chemical 

 Affinity and proves their identity with gravitation " 

 (extract from circular of publisher). We ourselves do 

 not think that the author is successful in his attempt ; 



