August 17, 1882] 



NA TURE 



363 



ferent museums that the Japanese have adopted this 

 mode of education along with their other advances in 

 civilisation. One of the most interesting features of the 

 present list is the additional knowledge acquired by Mr. 

 Snow's visit to the Kuril Islands, which locality, however, 

 does not seem to be very rich in land-birds, though many 

 wading-birds — gulls and petrels— appear to have been 

 noticed. The authors have carefully identified all the 

 species which have come under their notice, and in 

 doubtful cases have forwarded specimens to England for 

 comparison, so that little fault can be found with the 

 present list, which seems to be the result of much good 

 sound work, and we congratulate the authors on having 

 placed the ornithology of Japan on such a satisfactory 

 footing. A comparison of some of the smaller owls with 

 the type specimens in the British Museum would appear 

 desirable, and we have no doubt that Mr. Bowdler Sharpe 

 would assist the authors, if specimens were forwarded to 

 him for identification. 



ICELAND 

 Summer Travelling in Iceland. By John Coles, F.R.A.S. 



(London: Murray, 1882.) 

 By Fell and Fjord. By E. G. Oswald. (London: Black- 

 wood, 1882.) 

 THE most prominent— we ought perhaps to say, the one 

 redeeming — feature of Mr. Coles's work is the fact 

 that he occupied himself by taking observations of heights, 

 temperatures, distances, and magnetic variations while 

 travelling in Iceland. This is rarely done because of the 

 difficulty of carrying instruments over a very rough, and 

 in some places pathless, country. The result has been 

 that the map appended to " Summer Travelling" is per- 

 haps the most accurate which has yet appeared. Mount 

 Paul, and a few more-familiar names, are strangely 

 enough not inserted, but, on the other hand, the heights 

 of the principal mountains and highlands are given in 

 English feet ; the crater of Askja is shown of its proper 

 form ; and the details of the Sprengisandr route are 

 mapped. At the same time, the map is not so clear as 

 that of Gunnlaugsson, who was careful to indicate the 

 different surface soils — lava, sand, heath, &c. — by differ- 

 ences both of shading and of colour. If those who travel 

 in a little-known country would provide themselves with 

 a good aneroid, compass, and thermometer, and would 

 learn before starting how to use them, and maintain a 

 habit of using them constantly while on their travels, like 

 Mr. Coles, it would be to the great advantage of science. 

 According to Mr. Coles, the magnetic variation in the 

 extreme west of Iceland is 43 W., while on the east 

 coast it is 34 W., and the compass error in different parts 

 of the islands will thus vary by three-quarters of a point. 

 Thus in the W. of the island the compass box must 

 be turned until the N. end of the magnetic needle is over 

 N.W., while in the E. of the island the N. end would re- 

 quire to be placed over N.W. by N., and then all the 

 points marked on the card would indicate true bearings. 



We may mention also a capital plan of the Haukadalr 

 Geysirs, better, we believe, than any one which has 

 appeared since that of Baring Gould. 



Apart from the observations, the book contains nothing 

 which is new to Icelandic travellers, or to those acquainted 



with the literature relating to travel in that country. The 

 description ofthe Thingvellir-Geysir-Hekla-Krisuvik route, 

 is as old as the hills, and becomes infinitely wearisome 

 from much repetition. Four chapters out of eleven take 

 us only as far as Hekla, and then the author did not ascend 

 it. The journey across the Sprengisandr was quite un- 

 eventful, and the detour to Askja was without interest- 

 that is, it did not bring to light any facts not previously 

 observed by Prof. Johnstrup, Lieut. Maroc, or Mr. W. G. 

 Lock. Also when we read that " Summer Travelling in 

 Iceland " is a " narrative of two journeys across the island 

 by unfrequented routes," we are disappointed to find the 

 less frequented route without any interest, and the other 

 by no means " unfrequented," but in fact the ordinary 

 mail route between Akureyri and Reykjavik. 



During the last twenty years books on Iceland have 

 multiplied too rapidly, and there is no need for another 

 work on the subject, unless it deals with some special fea- 

 tures of the country scientifically, or unless it is a record 

 of exploration, like plucky Mr. Watts' s record of a journey 

 " Across the Vatna Jokull." If somebody will further 

 explore this tract of unknown country larger than Lin- 

 colnshire, or ascend and measure virgin peaks, or trace 

 the lava streams of Koe'tla to their source, or minutely 

 survey the Krafla district, we shall welcome their records 

 with open arms. 



" By Fell and Fjord " is a bright, pleasantly written 

 book, by a lady who has visited Iceland three times 

 has travelled over some of the less frequented paths, and 

 has entered with wonderful spirit into the nature of the 

 weird volcanic surroundings, and the tone and temper of 

 the people, the language, and the literature. Miss Os- 

 wald is so fond of everything connected with the island, 

 that she has braved discomforts which few ladies would 

 willingly face. Her bravery impresses us immensely : 

 she never feared to ford the most dangerous glacier river, 

 never quaked while crossing the most treacherous bog, 

 and was never discouraged by misfortunes caused by bad 

 weather or a mistaken route. And then she is genuinely 

 enthusiastic about the scenery, the wild gipsy life, and 

 the cordial kindly people. G. F. Rodwell 



OUR BOOK SHELF 



Madeira : its Scenery, and How to see it. (London : 



Stanford, 1882). 

 A USEFUL handbook to Madeira has just been published 

 by Messrs. Stanford. It can hardly lay claim to be a 

 scientific work, yet a fair knowledge of botany and 

 kindred subjects is pre-supposed to exist by its author, 

 Miss Ellen Taylor, and much of the interest in the 

 excursions detailed is due to the introduction of this 

 element. It presents, in fact, a very marked improve- 

 ment over ordinary handbooks, and the treatment of the 

 natural history section is excellent. 



There is little of history to relate, and even the dis- 

 covery of the island, which took place as recently as the 

 early part of the fifteenth century, is involved in some 

 obscurity. The race is mixed, and the aristocracy at 

 least |seems to have been recruited from Italy, France, 

 and Flanders. The island is entirely volcanic, and no 

 roks earlier than Miocene exist in it. When volcanic 

 action ceased is unknown, but even the most recent lavas 

 seem to have suffered great denudation — no vapours are 

 now exhaled — and the island is profoundly quiescent 

 save from occasional earthquakes, as in 1748. The vast 



