August 17, 1905] 



NATURE 



367 



researches may indicate fluctuations in the Aralo- 

 Caspian waters, in correspondence with those trace- 

 able in the rivers that flowed down from the glaciated 

 areas. Mr. R. W. Pumpelly tried, in the short time 

 at his disposal, to correlate (p. 143) the glacial changes 

 with the successive shorelines traceable in the basin 

 of Kara Kul on the Pamir, and makes the interesting 

 suggestion that this lake rose to a height of 320 feet 

 or more above its present level during the first local 

 glacial epoch, and to a height of 150 feet during the 

 second epoch, the times of greatest precipitation 

 corresponding with the increase in the lacustrine 

 waters. Both here and in the Alai Valley to the 

 north, two well marked series of moraines exist. The 

 older series in the Alai Valley is clearly indicated by 

 being cut into by the narrower valley-troughs, with 

 which the second and fresher series is associated. If 

 we read Mr. Pumpelly aright — for his mode of bring- 

 ing together his observations leaves something to be 

 desired and explained — the older glacial epoch actually 

 preceded some of the earth-movements which gave 

 the ranges their present relations and elevations (pp. 



145 and ^iS)- 



Mr. Huntington goes so far as the presentation of 

 five glacial epochs, on the evidence of the large and 

 high-reaching valleys which still contain glaciers in 

 them (p. loq); and, arguing from the very probable 



correlation of his epochs of gravel-deposition and of 

 glacial extension higher up the country, he is in- 

 clined to ask for at least six advances and six con- 

 siderable " interglacial " withdrawals of the ice. In 

 his concluding paper on eastern Persia and Sistan, 

 he describes what he styles " one of the most desolate 

 lands in the world," " a land of gravel and naked- 

 ness, of huge desert basins and desolate, interminable 

 slopes, of tantalizing mirages and bare mountains." 

 The average rainfall does not rise above 10 inches, 

 and comes from the south-east ; while the summer 

 wind from the north, often as violent as a hurricane, 

 fills the air for four arid months with continental 

 dust. The country is dealt with bv Mr. Huntington 

 as by a scientific artist, and his picturesque touch is 

 emphasised by an occasional aphorism, such as " The 

 desert makes men lose every sentiment except the 

 desire to get safely to the other side." Persia is to 

 him a " typical example of an arid country "; and he 

 gives us a fine sketch of its life-history. He then 

 describes in detail five series of recent river-terraces, 

 and connects them, as we are led by this time to 

 expect, with climatic changes, similar to those in 

 Turkestan. The alternations in the lake-deposits of 

 Sistan then come in for corresponding treatment, and 

 the decay of the area in population and in political 

 power in modern times is attributed to the final 

 desiccation. 



NO. 1868, VOL. 72] 



We are glad that Mr. Huntington's clearly writtera 

 papers close the series ; for must we not admit that 

 American physical geographers, who are apt to 

 classify old conceptions until they appear to develop 

 into new ones, provide us at times with somewhat 

 difficult reading? On p. 79 we have: — "the pene- 

 j planation of the region improved in the final 40 miles 

 of the road on the sixth day. In the morning some 

 of the broad ridges . . . were from 300 to 500 feet 

 over the intervales." Mr. Pumpelly can hardly be a 

 cyclist, or he would not speak of " deflated bowlders " 

 on p. 131. If, again, we all understand what dating 

 a letter means, how shall we appreciate the phrase 

 (P- 135) "the epochs predating the escarpments"? 

 We make these remarks as much in the interest of 

 the conscientious foreigner as of ourselves ; for the 

 directors of the publications of the Carnegie Institu- 

 tion have no right and no desire to remain content: 

 with a purely American circulation. 



As examples of the numerous effective illustrations,, 

 we may mention the photograph of a characteristic 

 crescent-shaped " barkhan " of blown sand on p. 44, 

 and that of the glacial valley and subsequent ravine 

 of the Khoja Ishken on p. 18S, both of which are 

 here reproduced ; but all throughout are to the purpose, 

 even when merely showing modes of travel in a 

 region of absorbing interest. 



Grenville A. J. Cole. 



HABITS OF BIRDS.^ 



MR. EDMUND SELOUS, the author of this 

 elegant little volume, is one of the most' 

 patient and enthusiastic observers of bird-life in the 

 British Islands, and has recorded details in con- 

 nection with the habits of several species which have 

 been overlooked by other field-naturalists. If the 

 riddle of nature is ever to be solved by observations- 

 on living animals, Mr. Selous is one of the men who 

 ought to help to solve it, although we are bound to 

 confess that several of his theories, notably the one 

 with regard to the origin of the nest-making instinct, 

 do not appear to ourselves by any means convincing 

 or sufficient. Nests, indeed, form a very favourite- 

 theme of the author ; so much so, in fact, that when 

 discussing the building of supernumerary nests by 

 various species on pp. 67 and igq, he practically 

 repeats the same thing, namely, that this results, 

 originally, from a simple love of labour and occupa- 

 tion. 



The author is, perhaps, at his best when describing 

 the movements and actions of birds as seen during 

 his inimitably patient watchings, excellent examples 

 of this being shown in his description of herons alight- 

 ing on their nest, and of long-tailed titmice construct- 

 ing the domed receptacle in which their eggs are 

 deposited. The latter incident is represented in one of 

 the illustrations, photographed, like the rest, from a 

 sketch by the clever pencil of Mr. Lodge, this exquisite 

 picture being reproduced as a sample of the illustra- 

 tions generally, .'^s an interesting suggestion, refer- 

 ence mav be made to the author's theory that when a- 

 woodpecker's nesting hole has been usurped by a 

 starling, the rightful owner may occasionally lay an- 

 egg in the nest, and that in this manner the parasitic 

 habit of the cuckoo may have been developed. The 

 fact of starlings excavating large nesting chambers 

 in sand-cliffs is entirely new to us. 



In regard to the " get-up " of the book, we may 

 suggest that it would have been an improvement if, 

 instead of repeating the main title as the heading for 

 alternate pages, the name of the species under dis- 



1 " Bird Life Glimpses." By E. Selo 

 (London : G. Allen, 1905.) Price 6s. net. 



Pp. 



1-335 ; illustrated.- 



