193



regarded as a ground-dove, for my birds never come down

excepting to feed ; in which respect they are the exact opposite

to Phlogccnas which spends the whole day on the earth, only

ii3dng np to roost, or when flushed.



REVIEWS.



Song Birds ; a Paper read before the National British Bird and

Mule Club, by Mr. Albert Rettich.


Our readers know Mr. Rettich, and they do not need to be

told that his writings are always both practical and interesting.

The paper now before us the author modestly acknowledges to

be largely a translation from a German Avicultural Journal — he

is not the only avicultural writer who has borrowed from German

■sources, and such a course is much to be commended, for

■German avicultural literature is undoubtedly ahead of our own.


We are surprised at the veiy high estimation, as a songster,

in which the Garden Warbler appears to be held, by German

aviculturists.


A Mr. Heppe, who seems to be a man of great experience,

is quoted as an authority against giving too niau}^ mealworms

to delicate birds, — " The armour - like skin of the inse(5t, he

£nds productive of indigestion, of clogging, swelling, and

cramp in the feet, and other disorders." He giv^s fresh ants'

«eggs in the summer and no mealworms, and but few in the

■winter.


It is a pity that this interesting paper should be printed

in such very small type.



■'''■ Lost a7id Vanishing Birds : Being a Record of some Remarkable


Extinct Species and a Plea for some Threatened For'ms!''


By Charles Dixon.


" One of the saddest features of civilisation is the

•disappearance of so many beautiful and curious creatures from

this world of ours." These words with which Mr. Dixon begins

his preface are the key note of an interesting but melancholy

iDook, which deserves to be carefulh^ read by all bird-lovers. It

is very saddening to look down the list of " Lost British Birds,"

"Vanishing British Birds," " Lost Exotic Birds," and "Vanish-

ing Exotic Birds," and to feel how great has been the loss

alread}^ and how much greater it is likely to be in the near

future.



