Reviews (Old Book A^o/ires. 4 1 3 



YORK'S LOST OPPORTUNITY. 

 The final meeting- of the Executive of the Reception Com- 

 mittee for the recent visit of the British Association to York, 

 -was held recently at York, the Lord Mayor (Alderman Wrag-ge) 

 presiding. A balance-sheet was presented, showing the total 

 income from subscriptions to be £2i39-\- The total expenditure 

 was ;^286i, leaving a balance at the bank of ;£^533. The total 

 number of visitors to the Association was 1971, and the opinion 

 was generally expressed that the York meeting was one of the 

 most successful ever held in the history of the Association. 

 From the Reception Committee's point of view, presumably. 

 A substantial sum was voted to Mr. Are}' and to Mr. Elmhurst 

 for their services, and ;^28 was put aside for conting-encies. 

 So far so good ; but ' it was decided to return the balance to 

 the subscribers at the rate of half-a-cro\vn in the pound.' Pro- 

 bably hot one of those who had subscribed expected any return, 

 and certainly few would have objected to the amount due to 

 them being handed over to the Yorkshire Philos'ophical Society, 

 had such a suggestion been made. With the surplus ;^5oo, the 

 people of York might have carried out a much needed improve- 

 ment to their museum, and without feeling the cost in any way. 

 When the Reception Committee was first called together at 

 York, the Lord Mayor certainly promised that ' any surplus 

 funds raised in connection with the British Association iv02ild be 

 devoted to some scientific purpose.' Wh.y lias this promise been 

 forgotten ? 



A Handbook of British Inland Birds. By Anthony Collett, with 

 colovired and outlined plates of eg-gs by Eric Parker. 290 pag-es. Messrs. 

 Macmillan & Co. 6/- 



Of books dealing' with birds there appears to be no end, and we fail to 

 see that in the present volume there is anything' but what can be obtained in 

 ■dozens of other volumes dealing' wiih the same subject. It has, however, 

 some useful outline plates of eg'g's, and some usually excellent plates printed 

 by the three-colour process, thoug-h in the copy sent to us some of these are 

 out of reg'ister, and the effect is anything' but pleasing'. According' to the 

 preface, ' the chief intention of this handbook is to supply as plain and 

 simple a means as possible for the identification of those species of birds, 

 as well as their nests and eg'gs, which are to be met with in the inland districts 

 of this country. Though we have a very largfe number of shore and sea 

 birds, they so seldom, g^enerally speaking', happen to cross the path of by far 

 the greater number of persons interested in bird life, that it has seemed that 

 there should be a useful place for a book in which the space g'ained by 

 omitting their numerous company was devoted to a closer account of their 

 inland species .... In the course of preparing the descriptions use has 

 frequently been made of Mr. Howard Saunders's well-known and excellent 

 Illustrated Manual of British Birds.' We suppose it would be an easy 

 matter to prepare still another book dealing' with shore birds and omitting 

 the inland species. The book, however, is well produced, and is generally 

 written in readable style, and would make a suitable presentation volume. 



1906 December i. 



