] 36 . Reviews- — Dictionary of Birds. 



was issued three years before its author retired from the post of 

 Director-General, after which time his literary labours ceased. 



The new edition has by careful excisions been reduced from 639 

 to 422 pages, so as to approach more nearly to the convenient size 

 of the earlier editions of the work. The stratigraphical portion has 

 been reduced by about 61 pages ; the Glacial chapters by about 38 

 pages ; the other reductions come under the head of Historical 

 Geology, the Kaces of Man, etc. 



Mr. Horace Woodward, the editor, has bestowed great pains and 

 labour on the new edition ; and both the stratigraphical and the 

 palgeontological parts have been carefully revised, and the names of 

 fossils corrected.^ He has very properly kept intact the author's 

 views on Subaerial Denudation, which Eamsay was the first to teach 

 and illustrate. 



The strict subdivisions of the subject-matter in each chapter have 

 been more strictly adhered to than in the earlier edition, and 

 without altering the author's style the book has been brought up to 

 date as far as possible. 



This manual will still be valued as the work of one of the most 

 able and thoughtful geologists of our time, whose broad views on the 

 stratigraphy and on the physical features of this country due to the 

 structure and character of the rocks composing it, and how they 

 have been affected by denudation, will always be read with pleasure 

 and profit by all students. The book is also provided with an 

 excellent index. 



IV. — A Diction AKY of Birds. By Alfked Newton, Assisted by 

 Hans Gadow, with Contributions from R. Lydekker, C. S. Roy, 

 and R. W. Schufeldt. In 4 Parts (3 issued). 8vo. pp. 832, 

 numerous Figures in the Text, and 1 Map. (London : Adam 

 and Charles Black, 1893-4.) 



rriHE Third Part of this very useful Dictionary has just been 

 JL issued, after a rather long interval, and it is to be hoped that 

 the concluding part will soon follow. 



Books in dictionary form are extremely handy for reference and 

 commend themselves to everyone, especially if they are as well 

 executed as is the book now under our notice, and there is no doubt 

 that this dictionary will be very serviceable not only to ornithologists 

 but also to all students of Natural History. 



A great deal more is contained in these volumes than the title 

 might lead one to expect, for we find in addition to the excellent 

 accounts of birds given under their scientific and popular names, 

 numerous articles dealing with the anatomy, with the liabits, 

 distribution, and past and present history of birds. It is in fact 

 a text-book of Ornithology arranged in dictionary form. 



Interesting as all these articles are, still some of those already 

 published have a greater claim to the geologist's notice than others; 

 especially those dealing with fossil birds, with the extermination, 



' One name, Chara medicaginula, is, however, still spelt (on p. 203) Chara 

 tnedicagulina. 



