382 Notes and Comments. 
and that gifted naturalist has dealt leniently with us. How 
awkward it would have been for the publishers of ‘The 
Naturalist’ if, with a few strokes of his pen, Mr. E. K. 
Robinson had ‘proposed to drop ‘‘ The Naturalist,”’ just as 
he did the word mammals.* We notice, however, that we are 
warned as to our conduct, and if we ‘really wish to serve the 
interests of the Union,’ we must keep our pen under better 
control. We shall certainly pay due regard to that warning. 
We were in the Natural History Museum at South Kensington 
a few days ago, and were horrified to find the word ‘Mammal’ 
still in general use. In fact, there was a ‘Guide to the 
Mammals? offered for sale—though in fairness to Mr. Robinson 
we ought to say that we did not see any of the visitors (pre- 
sumably mostly B.E.N.A.’s, though they didn’t wear their 
badges) buy it. ut, we hear on good authority that the 
Director, Sir E. Ray Lankester, is ‘retiring’ at the end of 
the present year. Ah/ 
COUNTRY SIDE ‘NATURAL HISTORY.’ 
According to the ‘Country Side,’ the recent Limerick, etc., 
competitions in the newspapers has ‘ sent up the social value of 
brains.’ Mr. E. Kay Robinson’s finger-nails (and presumably 
his toe-nails too, though his observations have apparently not 
extended thus far) clearly shew that he has ‘narrowly escaped 
death.’ For the second time ‘E.K.R.’ has ridden ‘Home’ in 
a Motor Car, and for the second time has given his readers an 
account of his achievement. By a curious coincidence the 
‘species’ of the car is the same as that ‘ puffed up,’ with fair 
regularity, in the ‘Motor Notes,’ and in the advertisement column 
of the same paper. With the view of furthering the study of 
Natural History, presumably, ‘Country Side’ has started a 
‘fine contest of skill and brains ’—a Limerick competition, and 
the B.E.N.A.’s can ‘cudgel their brains’ to produce the ‘last 
lines.” From the following brilliant example it will be seen that 
there is a distinct ‘natural history’ flavour about the com- 
* Nothwithstanding Mr. George Washington Robinson’s assurance that he 
would drop the word ‘mammal’ and use the word ‘animal’ instead, we 
notice that in his paper recently, in asking for information about ‘ Creatures 
and Plants,’ he puts the Mole, Mouse, Kat, and Vole under the heading 
‘Mammals.’ Possibly this is a misprint, and the unfortunate ‘comp’ is 
seeking a new situation. In the same list, under ‘Weeds and Fungi,’ is 
included ‘ Finger and toe in turnips.’ Is this a weed or a fungus? or should 
it come under ‘ animals.’ 
—— 
Naturalist, 
