172



Revieivs.



from some of the literature on the subject mingled with some

very strong opinions of the writer.


Probably no one has had better opportunities of studying

migration than the late Herr Gatke, who, living for 25 years or

more on an ideal place of observation Heligoland, spent almost

the whole of that time in observing and making notes. His

great book, published in 1893, contained some new and startling

facts, which were somewhat sceptically received by many orni¬

thologists. Those, however, who have studied the subject in the

field cannot but come to the conclusion that Gatke’s theories,

though possibly exaggerated, are in the main true. Not so, how¬

ever, with our author who, from his arm-chair writes (p. 34) : —

“ The absurdity of Gatke’s arguments are proved by a study of

his book.” Further on, however, in his own book, Mr. Coward

allows the truth of many of Gatke’s arguments by granting that

many species make long journeys without a break and also that

the journey is undertaken at a great height.


Throughout the book lack of practical knowledge is

shown ; for instance, p. 36, where reference is made to Swallows

migrating along the shore in a definite direction and keeping

to a narrow line. Had Mr. Coward been out frequently he

would have noted that, with a change of wind, these birds

would at once have changed their direction, and that, therefore,

this phenomenon, often observed in autumn, is in no sense a

true migration. Apart from bad reasoning, the book contains

many misstatements. On p. 63 Mr. Coward denies the exist¬

ence of an E. to W. flight, making out that such a flight is

merely a leeward drift on a N.E.-S.W. flight. Birds have been

observed leaving the shores of the Continent flying due W. and

arriving on our east coast from the E-, and, if we mistake not, they

were roughly timed by Mr. Cordeaux in communication with a

Continental observer, but if this were not proof we have further

definite evidence from ringed birds which have been marked

in E. Germany and recovered in the West, but this paper written

by Dr, Thienemann has evidently not reached the author as it

is omitted in the curious list of papers called a ‘Bibliography’

which is found at the end of the book. Another bad mis¬

statement is found on p. 68, where the large race of Wheatear



