113 

 REVIEWS AND BOOK NOTICES. 



Nature Songs, by J. Clements. London : Hunter & Longhurst, 

 208 pp., 4/6 net. We have been wondering why these have been called 

 Nature Songs. They are dedicated to boys who fell in the war, there is a 

 foreword by Mother Kate, there is a tremendous collection of poems — 

 of various kind.s — all with a strong religious flavour — some would make 

 good hymns — but, speaking as a naturalist, we think the title misleadmg. 



Natural History Studies, by J. Arthur Thomson. A. Melrose, 

 Ltd., 254 pp., 7/6 net. In this Prof. Thomson supplies a medley of 

 nature studies in his inimitable style — many being illustrated. His 

 forty stories are arranged according to the seasons, and the variety of 

 subjects dealt with can be gathered from the following headings to a few 

 of the chapters : — ' Tale of the Tadpoles,' ' Caterpillars,' ' Internal 

 Economy of the Sea,' ' Living Lights,' ' The Big Trees,' ' Seed 

 Scattering,' 'Horned Lizards,' and 'The Otter.' There are nearly 

 thirty suitable illustrations. 



Countryside Rambles, by W. S. Furneaux. G. Phillip & Sons, 

 186 pp, 3/6 net. This author's methods are well-known. He selects a 

 series of attractive photographs of animal and plant life and explains 

 them in simple language. Like the preceding volume, this is divided 

 into four parts, representing the seasons, and there are seven chapters 

 to each season. The book commences with 46 plates on which are 

 represented various phases of natural history objects, principally 

 botanical. Our copy has a huge rubber stamp on the title page to the 

 effect that it is a presentation copy ; consequently, as we can hardly 

 give it away, and are not likely to raise a shilling on it, we have had to 

 put it where a lot of MSS. go to. 



The R.T. Society, 4 Bouverie St., has issued Beautiful Butterflies of 

 the Tropics : How to Collect Them, by Arthur Twydaie (103 pp., 

 12/- net), which is a collection of finely printed representations of gor- 

 geous butterflies, from, four to eight or nine on a plate, usually the back- 

 ground being represented by scenes in New Guinea, Madagascar, or other 

 similar far-off places where these butterflies do congregate. The main 

 featui^e of the book consists of these plates, mounted on tinted cards, 

 though the author gives nine interesting chapters dealing with the life 

 history of the Butterfly ; How to distinguish a Butterfly from a Moth ; 

 How to collect, and then describes insects to be met with in different 

 tropical climes. The volume would form a welcome gift book, and 

 illustrates the more familiar exotic species. 



Zoology : An Elementary Text Book, by Sir A. E. Shipley and 

 Prof. E. W. MacBride. Fourth edition, Cambridge University 

 Press, 752 pp., 20/- net. The fact that this volume has reached its fourth 

 edition is sufficient guarantee of its excellence, even without the names of 

 the authors. What we cannot understand is how the publishers are 

 able to produce such an excellent work, well printed on fine paper, and 

 with nearly 400 illustrations, for the low price charged. The most im- 

 portant changes in the new edition are the incorporation of Prof. Jenning's 

 observations on the motion of Amoeba (Prof. Rhumbler's hypothesis 

 being now discarded), the inclusion of new results on the physiology 

 of the bivalve Mollusca ; the adaptation of Dr. Ridewood's results on 

 the development of centra ; and the re-writing of the section dealing 

 with human races in accordance with the views of Ripley, Elliot-Smith 

 and Keith. 



Some Experiences of a New Guinea Resident Magistrate, by 

 Capt. C. A. W. Monckton. John Lane, 337 pp, 21/- net. When we 

 saw a portrait of ' the author ' in a nice new khaki suit as frontispiece, 

 and learned from the title that he was ' F.R.G.S., F.Z.S., F. R.A.I , 

 sometime official member of executive and legislative councils, resident 

 magistrats and warden for goldfieMs,...high sheriff and high bailiff, and 



1921 Mar. 1 ''''fc' 



