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NEW NATURAL HISTORY BOOKS. 
WE are glad to find that after the glut of third or fourth-rate Natural 
History Books which occurred soon after the revival of nature study a 
few years ago, the publishers are at last exercising more care in the publi- 
cation of works on natural science. It is doubtless the result of the sur- 
vival of the fittest ; the weak ones long since having gone to the wall. 
But a few years ago anyone with a field glass and a fountain pen, so long as 
he knew a hawk from a handsaw, felt qualified to write books, and strange 
to say, was able to find publishers to put them on the market. Now, as 
was inevitable, this has changed, and we have good books, by good men, pub- 
lished by good houses. Many such are on our tables. 
Probably most readers of ‘The Naturalist’ who, like the writer, 
are in the autumn of their lives, will look back with pleasure upon the days 
when Wood's Popular Natural History was the book on the subject, when 
all that seemed knowable of beast, bird, reptile, fish, or insect, was to be 
found within its covers. Since then, notwithstanding the thousands of 
books that have been placed upon the market, none seem to have quite 
filled the place of Wood. Several have tried, certainly. At last we feel 
that a volume has appeared that will take its place, and will appeal with 
equal fascination to the new generation of young naturalists. This is a 
New Illustrated Natural History of the World, by E. Protheroe, F.Z.S. 
(564 pp., 7/0: G. Routledge & Sons, Ltd.). It is on Wood’s well-known 
successful plan, but has the advantage of better illustrations ; better 
descriptions of a greater number of species, and is much better produced. 
Mr. Protheroe handles the various natural orders with equal success, and 
in selecting representative mammals, birds, reptiles, fishes, insects, corals, 
sponges, etc., has given evidence of great care. In addition to the numer- 
ous illustrations from photographs, etc., there are many good coloured 
plates. In the future when we are asked to recommend a sound general 
natural history, we shall have no hesitation in saying ‘ Protheroe.’ 
With Nature and a Camera, by R. and C. Kearton (368 pp., Cassell & Co., 
5/-) has been issued once more, and there is therefore good reason for calling 
the present the ‘ popular ’ edition, and at this price it is deservedly so. 
Many of our readers will doubtless have already seen the volume in one 
or other of the many previous editions; if not, the present is a good 
opportunity of getting the volume cheaply. There are three chapters on 
St. Kilda, one on gamekeepers, four on birds, one on duck decoying, one 
on * people we have met,’ and one on ‘ our methods of photography,’ which 
we like the least, as we certainly think that many, if not most of the 
photographs could have been taken without the extraordinary trials and 
hardships which we doubt not were entailed. We cannot quite see the 
object of two pages being occupied by a ‘ fac simile of portion of a letter 
received by the author per St. Kilda Mailboat,’ unless it is to let us see 
the reference to ‘the big stone that nearly killed Cherry.’ We have 
heard of that Cherry stone before. 
Convergence in Evolution, by A. Willey, F.R.S., ete. (177 pp., John 
Murray, 7/6 net). 
Dr. Willey has travelled much, and has made many suggestive 
observations whilst on his travels. Several of these are included in the 
present volume, though we take it this work is largely a reply to Dr. 
W. H. Gaskell’s recent ‘earthquake hypothesis,’ regarding the origin 
of the Vertebrates, which has already been referred to in this journal. 
Dr. Willey’s contribution is well worthy of careful perusal and study. 
An idea of the variety of the subjects dealt with can be gathered from the 
following heads to chapters:—-The Art of Morphology; Physiological 
Classification ; Exposed and Concealed Animals ; Free and Fixed Animals; 
Mimicry and Homoplasy ; Divergence and Parallelism ; Special Con- 
vergence, Habitudes and Attitudes; The Ways of Breathing; and Con- 
vergence in minute structures. Dr. Willey’s book, inter alia, contains 
many observations, some decidedly remarkable ; which we do not remem- 
ber having seen recorded previously. 
‘Naturalist, 
