_ intrude into the Nile district are the yellow-vented Bulbul 
(Pycnonotus arsinoe), the Egyptian Bush-babbler (Crave- 
‘ropus acacig), the Bifasicated Lark (Certhilanda desert- 
orum), and two other species of Bee-eater, besides the 
Merops apiaster which visits Europe. The most abun- 
dant groups among the Passerine birds of Egypt are, 
perhaps the Larks and the Stonechats, of both of which 
numerous forms occur along the Nile banks. Nearly all 
the European Sy/viide@ are likewise found in Egypt, either 
all the year round, or in winter during their southern 
migration. The list of birds of prey is also numerous, 
and many of the eagles and hawks are said to be individu- 
ally very abundant. In fact, Egypt must be pronounced 
to be quite a paradise for an ornithologist who wishes to 
* take it easy,” and to collect a number of rare and in- 
teresting species without going far from home, or en- 
dangering his health in the forests of the tropics. 
Whilst allowing Captain Shelley great credit for the 
general way in which he has performed his task, we must 
be permitted to point out several “ heresies ” in his scien- 
tific arrangement, which, however, are manifestly owing 
rather to carelessness tian to ignorance. The Andalu- 
sian Hempode (7yrnix sy/vatica) certainly cannot be 
correctly referred to the Tetraonide—though Captain 
Shelley might find precedents for such a course—nor the 
Ibises, Storks, and Cranes to the Charadriidz, for which, 
on the other hand, no sort of precedent will be found. It 
is also new to us to see the Rails and Crakes arranged in 
the order “ Anseres” in the same family (!) as the Ducks 
and Geese, and the Gulls and Terns united to the Peli- 
‘cans. Here, we suspect, our author must have got into 
some muddle in “making up his sheets.” On the other 
hand, great praise must be awarded to the illustrations, 
which are obyiously from the facile pencil of Mr, Keule- 
mans, and represent some of the most novel and attrac- 
tive species. We could only have wished that a map 
had been‘added, with all the localities spoken of by the 
author marked on it. In these days no work referring to 
geographical zoology can be deemed complete without a 
map to it. 
| i a 
wey 9 
OUR BOOK SHELF 
A Manual of Chemistry, Theoretical and Practical. By 
George Fownes, F.R.S. Eleventh edition, revised and 
corrected by Henry Watts, B.A,,F.R.S. (London: 
J. and A. Churchill, 1873.) 
WE have received the eleventh edition of Fowne’s Manual 
of Chemistry, The great popularity of this famous 
Chemical text-book has already necessitated the pub- 
lication of this edition, although the last was only 
issued in 1868. Since that time great progress has been 
made in the science, and we must thank Mr. Watts for 
having made this edition fully equal to the present 
' educational requirements of chemistry. In order to 
_____ prevent the increase of the present volume beyond the 
slightly unwieldy size attained by the last, the editor 
has somewhat shortened the sections of the work relating 
to physics. This is by no means to be regretted, as 
admirable manuals on this subject are now within the 
reach of all. 
Another improvement has been effected by the intro- 
, duction of a chapter giving the most important points of 
‘a the received theories of chemical combination and the 
atomic hypothesis. By thus giving the student some idea 
of the theoretical portions of the science at an early 
179 
the case had the original plan of the author been adhered 
to. A chromolithograph of various spectra forms the 
frontispiece, but we regret to find that the chapter 
on spectrum analysis is somewhat more meagre than 
might have been expected. We notice that the size of 
the page and of the type has been increased, and the 
whole appearance of the book improved, -but the old 
woodcuts still do duty; this is a great pity, the French 
and German manuals very far surpass any of ours in this 
respect. Why should thisbeso? There can beno doubt 
that well executed sketches of apparatus are of great use 
to students in showing them how to do their work with 
neatness, and to none is this more important than to the 
large class of students now rising, who have to study the 
science without ever having the chance of seeing a well 
appointed laboratory or a good manipulator. R. J. F, 
Elements of Zoology. By A. Wilson. (Edinburgh : 
Adam and Charles Black.) 
Very high authorities have lately come to the conclusion 
—and the character of this book and of others like it 
lately published in Edinburgh confirm that conclusion— 
that it is not desirable to teach the e/ements of zoology at 
all. You cannot in a volume of 600 pages, illustrated 
with 150 woodcuts, ‘really give an adequate account of 
the animal kingdom. Nothing less extensive than 
* Cuvier’s Regne Animal,” or “ Bronn’s Thierreich” can 
deal with the subject. The very essence of Zoology lies 
in a wide survey of forms which cannot possibly be 
illustrated ina cheap book, A museum, dissecting rooms, 
microscopes, special monographs, are necessary for the 
study of Zoology, and itis useless to give a hurried 
account of the larger groups into which animals are 
divisible as an introduction to it. Wedo not want such 
elements of Zoology taught in schools and junior classes 
—elements of which the teacher himself has probably 
no real knowledge from the study of nature—elements 
which it is clear that Mr, Wilson has put together from 
his notes of Prof. Allman’s course, and from Prof, Huxley’s 
publications—but which he knows but little of from his 
own observation of nature. What can be taught in 
place of such elements of Zoology is the ground-work 
of Biology ; and this teaching designed to give a correct 
appreciation of the phenomena of life—not an exhaustive 
survey of all theforms and peculiarities of animal life— 
isa much more practicable thing for educational purposes 
and extra-university classes. Special types of both animal 
and vegetable life}are taken, which the teacher has him- 
self studied, and which he can place in quantity in the 
hands of his pupils for like study. Real scientific training 
is thus promoted, and books which shall help this form of 
teaching are needed. On the other hand, books like Mr. 
Wilson’s do a great deal of harm. They put zoology alto- 
gether out of the category of natural sciences, making it a 
subject of hearsay, and when written by men who are not 
themselves actively working zoologists, are simply me- 
chanical epitomes or analyses of other men’s work. More- 
over, Mr. Wilson does not appear to possess qualifica- 
tions for writing such an epitome, for he is not acquainted 
with French and German work, 
Not to enter into the specific inaccuracies of this book, 
we may simply mention that it is not up to the times. It 
is ten or fifteen years behind its day throughout, the 
reason of which is obvious when we find that it is an 
abridgment of works published about fifteen years since, 
Fifteen years means a great dealin Zoology, the most 
actively advancing of any science at the present time, 
since Darwin’s theory has stimulated research in it in all 
directions. There is no recognition in this book of Dar- 
winism, no proper account of the Protozoa ; development 
throughout is inadequately sketched, or in most cases al- 
together ignored. Geographical distribution might never 
have been studied during these twenty years. 
