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Reviews.



REVIEWS.



THE STORY OF A BIRD DOVER*


The name of W. E. D. Scott is very well known to

ornithologists, not only in America, where he holds an important

official post in the Princeton University, but throughout the

ornithological world. Professor Scott occupies a somewhat

unique position amongst ornithologists, for besides being a

cabinet worker he is one of the greatest field-naturalists in

America, and an aviculturist. It goes without saying therefore

that a full account of his life and many and varied adventures

in the pursuit of ornithology is bound to be of considerable

interest; and we can only say that the book before us is one of

the most interesting that we have ever read. The author has

travelled to many little-frequented parts of North America, as

well as to Jamaica, often spending many months, or even years,

in his far-off collecting-grounds.


Although Professor Scott has been a collector all his life,

it can be truly said that the killing he has done has been done

in the cause of science. He recounts with horror the shocking

waste of life that has taken place to gratify tl insatiable greed

of fashion. When a } r outh he learnt to skin fnd stuff birds, as

every collector must do unless he can afford Jthe luxury of a paid

taxidermist to accompany his wanderings, and on one occasion,

being anxious to obtain emplo}’ment, he entered the shop of a

dealer in plumes, and asked for a job. The proprietor set him

to work to skin a number of small song-birds, which he did so

rapidty and well that he was engaged at £6 a week. Three

months were spent in this shop, during which he skinned from

one hundred and twenty to one hundred and fifty birds each day,

these being brought in by the local gunners each morning, and

consisting almost entirely of bright-coloured song-birds. These

skins were delivered to dealers on cards which held four each,

there being three cards in a box.



The Sfcry of a Bird Lover , by Williiam Earl Dodge Scott. New York:

The Outlook Company. Price 6/.



