REVIEW. 845 



(b) Classification according to external structural peculiarities. 



(c) Classification according to colour. 



(d) Classification according to habits. 



Of the first classification there is not much to remark and the user 

 cannot go far wrong with it. We are afraid, however, that many mistakes 

 will be made in using the second classification, though not through any 

 fault of the author ; but simply because people have such different ideas as 

 to colour and also many seem to have a difficulty in remembering the 

 colours and their arrangement on a bird, unless they have had the bird 

 itself in their hand. There is such an immense variety and arrangement 

 of colours amongst the birds found in India that it would seem almost 

 impossible to classify them under any satisfactory headings, but neverthe- 

 less Mr. Dewar has managed to reduce them to order by dividing up the 

 different colours under ten headings with numerous sub-headings. For 

 instance, under "Grey"' we have " prevailing hue grey," "the head only 

 grey," "grey and red," &c. In many cases the same bird is found under 

 several different colours. 



The second part of the book consists of a short description of the 

 common birds of the plains, but for the sake of brevity Mr. Dewar has, we 

 think, spoilt what might have been a very useful list. In the first place the 

 descriptions are all too short and secondly the geographical distribution 

 when given, is so brief as to frequently give a wrong impression. Take 

 the White-eyed Buzzard Eagle {Butastur teesa), we are told that it is " very 

 common in N. India ; rare in the south, " but it is a common bird in the 

 Deccan and near Bombay. The Red-headed Bunting (Emberiza luteola) is 

 given as " a winter visitor to N.-W. and Central India " although it is 

 also found commonly at Belgaum and Dharwar and we do not think the 

 residents in Eastern Bengal would call Aquilct xindhina " abundant." We 

 mention these few instances to show that the distribution given is too 

 brief and indefinite. It is true the author intends this book to be used 

 along with the bird volumes of the " Fauna ; " but how many of his 

 readers will also have the " Fauna " " or " Jerdon at hand to refer to ? 



The omission of many of the game birds and ducks because separate 

 works have already been written on them is, to say the least of it, unfor- 

 tunate since many people do not want to be bothered with more than 

 one book on birds. 



To many, Mr. Dewar's book will be very useful, but the want of a 

 popular book on the Common Birds of India will still be felt. 



RECORDS OF THE INDIAN MUSEUM. 



The discovery of the connection between insects and disease has, within 

 the last few years, given a great impetus to the study of Diptera. We al- 

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