240 Reviews and Book Notices. 
ridtbundus) make their appearance ; this year, however, owing 
to the cold and delayed spring, scarcely one was to be seen. The 
contrast between the teeming bird life in spring (ex. e7., curlew, 
peewit, golden plover) on many of the Scottish hills and the 
meagre stock on these Cumberland fells is remarkable, and Iam 
not convinced that the absence of suitable food is the right 
explanation. 
—_—_ 3 e—__- 
Ornithological and Other Oddities, by Frank Finn, B.A., F.Z.S. 
John Lane, 1907. 295 pp., plates, 1o/- net. The cry is still ‘they 
come!’ Another bird book—‘ Ornithological Oddities.’ In this volume the 
late Deputy-Superintendant of the Indian Museum, Calcutta, gathers to- 
gether his various contributions to numerous journals and dailies, and with 
the aid of fifty-six illustrations produces a volume, bound in a light green 
cover, with a bird upon the back. As might be expected, the essays 
principally deal with eastern species, though several of the chapters are of 
Australian Barn Owl. 
general interest, e.g., ‘The Study of Sexual Selection,’ ‘The Courting of 
Birds,’ ‘ Hybrid Birds,’ ‘Love among the Birds,’ etc. There is also a 
chapter on ‘Blushing Birds.’ Amongst the ‘other’ oddities are ‘Monkeys I 
have met.’ The book contains numerous ancedotes written in Mr. Finn's 
familiar style. The photographs (one of which we are permitted to 
reproduce herewith) are mostly very good—that of ‘Japanese monkeys ; 
father, mother, and child’ (p. 246) is certainly funny—the parents are 
busy with a usual occupation, whilst the ‘child’ sits by watching the 
‘hunt,’ with an expression forcibly reminding one of that of little Oliver 
when he wanted ‘more.’ 
- Naturalist, 
