JuLy 31, 1902] 
the breeding season in enormous rookeries, and special in- 
terest attaches to a photograph of the arrival of a party 
of these birds on the Antarctic land. The curious dis- 
covery that these birds as they ascend the cliffs make 
deep groovings in the solid rocks with their claws was 
not announced in time to be mentioned in the volume. 
The eighth and last coloured plate represents the remark- 
able colour-phases presented by the eggs of MacCormick’s 
skua (Wegalestris maccormickt). 
All concerned in this important contribution to natural 
history are to be congratulated on the successful com- 
pletion of a by no means easy task. 
Our congratulations must likewise be offered to the | 
author of the second work on our list, the first volume of 
which has been already noticed in these columns. Since 
the appearance of the first volume the Museum collection | 
of eggs has received a most important addition by the | 
bequest of the Crowley collection, noted on account of 
its richness in the eggs of Australian birds. The regis- 
tration of this vast collection was not completed when 
the MS. of a large portion of the second volume went to 
press, so that Mr. Oates has been compelled to add an 
appendix. The collection will also, we presume, render 
necessary an appendix to the first volume, if only to in- 
clude the great auk’s egg which forms one of its treasures. 
Previously the Museum possessed only two bleached eggs 
of that species, which are entered in the catalogue as 
valueless. 
Even with the addition of the Crowley bequest, the 
Museum collection is by no means so extensive as is de- 
sirable, although it is probably far ahead of any other. 
To say nothing of many species totally unrepresented, | 
there are many birds—among them such well-known | 
forms as the secretary-bird, the bay vulture and the South 
African griffon vulture—of which there are not more than 
two or three eggs in the collection. 
Among the special rarities recorded in the volume 
before us, mention may be made of two eggs of the | 
sanderling (Calidris arenaria)—the one from Grinnell- 
land and the other from Iceland—and three assigned to 
the knot (77izga canutus). Two of these latter (be- 
longing to the Crowley bequest) were taken in Iceland, 
while the third is one of a clutch of four, said to have 
been taken with the hen-bird, sent to thelate Mr. H. 
Seebohm from isco Island. All three specimens are 
alike ; but, according to Mr. Oates, “they bear an exact | 
resemblance in size,.shape and colour to some of the 
eggs of the common snipe. The genuineness of these | 
eggs therefore requires confirmation, but they are 
probably correctly identified.” Here we may call atten- 
tion to what, in our opinion, is an imperfection in the 
indexing of the volume. Species of which there is a | 
supplemental notice in the appendix are duly recorded | 
in the index, but this is not the case with genera. It is 
true that such genera do not receive a separate heading 
in the appendix, but we nevertheless think they should 
have been indexed as occurring there; it would have 
made reference easier. 
Other rarities catalogued include eggs of the American 
noble snipe (Gad/inago nobilis), two ; the Malagasy snipe 
(G. macrodactyla), three ; the black jacana ( Jacana nigra}, | 
two ; the black-winged courser (RAznopterus chalcopterus), 
three ; the African wattled crane (Sugeranus caruncu- 
/atus), three; the white-winged trumpeter (Psophia 
carinata), two ; and the seriema (Cartama cristata), three. 
Of the two species last mentioned, all the eggs in the 
collection were laid in confinement, those of the trumpeter 
in Mr. Blaauw’s aviary in Holland and those of the 
seriema in the London Zoological Society’s menagerie. 
The. volume is illustrated by fourteen beautifully 
coloured plates of eggs, drawn and coloured by Mr. H. 
Gronvold. Apart from their special interest to oologists, | 
these figures are of great value to the general naturalist | 
as giving him a much better idea of the prevalent type | 
NO, 1709, VOL. 66] 
NATURE 
323 
of coloration characterising the eggs of different groups 
of birds than can be obtained from the figures of exclu- 
sively British species. Both author and editor appear 
to have executed their tasks carefully and conscientiously, 
and when the remaining volumes are issued the work 
will not only,be invaluable, but absolutely unique. 
The works standing third and fourth in our list are of 
a totally different type from those already noticed, and 
are intended for the general public rather than for 
scientific naturalists, although even the latter class of 
readers may perhaps gain some information from them 
in regard to those sections of zoology of which they have 
not madea special study. Before proceeding further we 
may say a word with regard to the covers and title-pages 
of these two little works. In the ‘“‘ Mammal Guide” the 
words “ British Museum” are printed in large type and 
“Department of Zoology” in smaller type, whereas just 
the reverse of this occurs in the “Coral Guide.” Apart 
from the question of uniformity (which we consider by 
no means an unimportant one), there seems no doubt 
that the former style is farthe most preferable. It may be 
| added that the address “ Cromwell Road, London, S.W.,” 
which appears on the cover of the “ Coral Guide ” is, in 
Our opinion, quite unnecessary, and not suitable to the 
dignity and importance of a great public institution. 
(By permission of Sir George Newnes 
Bart.) 
Fic. 2.—Adelia Penguins Paired. 
If, however, it is required in the one “Guide,” it is also 
necessary in the other. : 
The two “‘ Guides” differ in that the one devoted to the 
"mammal galleries is the seventh edition, while the other is 
the first issue; a further difference is to be found in the 
fact that whereas the names of the authors appear in 
the.second, no such information is afforded in the first. 
Another point of distinction is the greater prominence 
given to popular names and the smaller amount of 
technical detail given in the former than in the latter. In 
the “ Mammal Guide,” for instance, the English names of 
the animals are alone placed under the figures, whereas 
many of the figures in the “ Coral Guide” have only the 
scientific names, and when English names are given 
they occupy the second instead of the first place. It is 
true, as stated in the preface, that it is less easy to avoid 
the use of technical terms in dealing with the lower inver- 
tebrates than when treating of mammals or birds, and 
popular names are not so readily at hand. We venture 
to think, however, that more might have been done in this 
| direction than the authors have thought fit to attempt 
In any case, the substitution of terms like “hairs” for 
“cilia,” “feathery” for ‘“plumose” and “horny” for 
“chitinous ” could be made without any loss of accuracy 
