44



Review



REMEW


A Practical Handbook of British Birds. Pt. x, vol. ii, pp. 81-176.


Witherby & Co., 326 High Holborn, W.C. 1. Price 46'. 6rf. net.


We are favoured with a copy of part x of this excellent publication,

which is to be completed in eighteen parts, and will form by far the

most up-to-date and practical handbook of the day on British birds.

The subject has been treated of extensively and books on British

birds are numerous, but there are very few that one can name as being

absolutely reliable and free from the common fault of copying from

previous authors. Saunders’ Manual was the best book of its day,

and at the present time we know of no other that excels it in usefulness

and reliability ; but the last edition appeared in 1899, since which

date not only has much been added to our knowledge regarding the

various local races of species, but the habits of certain species have

somewhat changed, their range extended or decreased, and it was

quite time that another work by the best authorities on the subject

was produced. We are glad that this present production is not the

work of one author alone, for no one person can know all there is to

know on so large a subject even as that of British birds, for the term

includes every species which at any time visits this country. The

present book has been divided into sections, and these have been placed

in charge of the following six authors, each of whom is an authority

on one or more particular group : Dr. E. Hartert, Miss Annie C. Jackson,

Rev. F. C. R. Jourdain, Mr. C. Oldham, Dr. N. F. Ticehurst, and

Mr. H. F. Witherby.


The form of the work is eminently practical, and under the name

of the species we find a full description, both of the adult male, adult

female, nestling, juvenile plumage (in some cases both of the male

and female), winter and summer plumage, measurements, characters,

and allied forms, field characters, breeding habits, food and distribution,

both in the British Isles and abroad.


The part before us deals with the birds of prey, and contains many

excellent figures of a particularly useful kind, showing the difference

between allied forms or species. Thus, on page 131, we have outlines

of the bills and middle toes of the Golden and Sea Eagles, showing at



