280 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



primary colours with their combinations, and figures illustrating 

 the internal anatomy and wing-surfaces of a bird, colour markings, 

 egg contours, and a comparative scale of measurement standard — 

 a veritable multum in parvo. 



With regard to the patterns of colours, we find about twenty 

 shades of each rej^resented on each plate in small oblong squares, 

 with the names immediately below them, and on the opposite 

 page an indication of the colours which when combined will 

 produce them. On the whole the result appears satisfactory, 

 but we may point out that the plates being hand-coloured there 

 must obviously be a risk of variation in difi'erent copies of the 

 book — a difficulty which was obviated in Werner's Manual by 

 having every shade of colour printed in sheets which were cut out 

 into small pieces of the size required, and pasted on to the plates. 

 In addition to this, and in order to illustrate his meaning better, 

 Werner gave the name of such species in the animal, vegetable, 

 and mineral kingdoms as have the particular shade of colour 

 mentioned — an excellent plan to prevent misconception which 

 Mr. Eidgway might have adopted with advantage. 



Another point for criticism which occurs to us is this : in 

 naming and figuring a particular colour, it seems to us that 

 Mr. Ridgway's views do not always coincide with popular notions 

 on the subject. To take various shades of green, for example : 

 his " malachite-green " (No. 6) does not correspond to the colour 

 of that mineral, which resembles rather what he names " viridian 

 green" (No. 8), or "sea-green" (No. 5), while his "pea-green" 

 (No. 9) reminds us rather of the dried than of the fresh pea, and 

 his "emerald-green" (No. 16) is not the colour of an emerald. 

 It may perhaps be said that these are really the shades which are 

 known to artists and artists' colourmen by these particular names. 

 If so the author must be absolved from blame, and we can only 

 regret that the nomenclature has not been more accurately 

 determined. 



Mr. Ridgway's book in many respects will be found extremely 

 useful to working naturalists, and the adoption by them of his 

 standard of nomenclature, by securing uniformity, will obviate in 

 future a deal of misconception which at present arises whenever 

 the colours of a new species are loosely or inconsiderately 

 described. 



