184



Notices of New Books, etc.



NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS, ETC.



Three Voyages of a Naturalist, by Mr. J. Nicoll, with an intro¬

duction by the Rt. Hon. the Earl of Crawford. WiTherby & Co.,

326, High Holborn, London.


When one picks np a book with the object of reviewing it,

one is not always tempted to read it through from beginning to-

end; but the present one is so absorbingly interesting to anyone

with a love for Natural History, that it is utterly impossible to

read it in a perfunctory manner.


Like Bates’ “ Naturalist on the Amazons,” and Wallace’s

“ Naturalist in the Malay Archipelago,” Mr. Nicoll’s account of

his three voyages carries the reader in imagination to all the

scenes which he visited, the illusion being considerably assisted

by the beautiful photographs which accompany the text; so that,

when once taken up, it is almost impossible to lay the book aside

until it has been read from cover to cover.


In the earlier chapters one gets the impression that the

author has a decided preference for sea-birds and waders; this

however is due to the fact that the islands first described appear

to be the homes of very few laud birds, and one often comes

across a regretful note by the author to this effect. Farther on

in the book, these more generally popular types come in for their

full share of notice.


The scientific names of the more important birds and

other vertebrates whicli were secured are given, either in the

text or in foot-notes; and one’s only regret in reading through

the book was, that so few names of insects were given. To an

entomologist, though perhaps not to an exclusive ornithologist,

a recognition of the species observed would have made the

narrative more real. The 220 beautiful illustrations and four

sketch-maps leave nothing to be desired, Mr. Meade-Waldo’s

photographs are excellent. Those of our members who perused

with pleasure this ornithologist’s delightful articles on “Birds

seen during the Cruise of the ‘Valhalla’ in 1905-6,” which ap¬

peared in vols. IV. and V. of the present series of our Magazine,

will eagerly study the fuller account in Mr. Nicoll’s fascinating

book. A. G. B.



