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Review's.



the end of July the Chitfchaff and Willow Wren commence to sing

again. As a matter of fact, these two birds sing throughout the

summer, though the songs are very feeble for a time, becoming

stronger again towards summer’s end. In our own experience,

we find the Willow Wren’s song uttered very faintly from about

the 8th to the 24th July, yet it is a daily sound. We are well

aware that dates vary in different districts, hence, though the author

tells us that it is exceptional to hear the Thrush sing in August,

such is not the case in wooded suburbs of Manchester.


Bird notes strike the ears of listeners differently, but it is

hard to understand “ gluck ” as the call-note of the Bedwing. Many

observers liken the note to a frightened cheep— “ zeep ” or “ seep.”

Again, we cannot recognise in “kek, kek, the note of the Brambling.


The monthly calendar strikes us as a weak spot in the book, as

Nature calendars are often apt to be. While it is useful to note the

approximate date when a bird begins to sing, we fear that it is only

likely to cause confusion to note again the singing of the same bird

indiscriminately. Thus, in several places we are told that the Tree

Creeper sings ; and, in early January, that the Robin, Hedge Sparrow,

and Wren sing, though these three birds do so all through the

winter. Under November 20th we read: “ Bramblings at beech-

mast ” ; these winter Finches find the beech-mast long before that

date. The singing of the Hedge Sparrow is also noted in September,

October, and November. However, criticisms are few, and the

volume remains thoroughly useful, interesting, and entertaining.


James J. Cash.


[Several of the illustrations of the work reviewed by Mr. Cash

are from photographs of stuffed birds in the Natural History Museum

at South Kensington. We see the pair of Kingfishers perched out¬

side their nest burrow, still and life-like, yet hardly stiller than they

would have been alive ; the Kentish Plovers on the beach, their tiny

young squatting and all but invisible among the rough yellow

pebbles ; the Stockdoves on their sandhill, their burnished necks

aglow with a “livelier iris” ; and the charming, altogether delightful

Pied Wagtails creeping about the rough grass. These groups are abso¬

lutely life-like. It is successful taxidermy like this, based on faithful

avicultural study of living models , that recalls the dictum of the



