248 Reviews.


style by a very versatile author. It is a collection of articles,

most of which have appeared before in such papers as The

County Gentleman, Country Life, The Field, The Spectator, and

others. Such articles are much too valuable to be scattered

about in newspapers and it is very satisfactory to find that they

have been collected together in a permanent form. Wherever

one happens to open the book one conies across something of

interest; and the chapters deal with very diverse subjects, such

as " The Courting of Birds," "The Raven on the Pampas," "Birds

that talk and mimic," "A Calcutta Bird Colony," "Japanese

Aviculture," "The Birds of an Eastern Voyage," " Monkeys I

have met," and so on. Mr. Finn believes that " the man in the

street" has more interest in natural history than he is generally

credited with, and so this volume is primarily intended for those

who do not profess themselves to be experienced naturalists, but

we venture to think that many of such might read this book with

profit. It contains a number of good photographic illustrations,

and we are able to reproduce, with the Author's and Publisher's

permission, two very good ones of the Mandarin Drake, by Mr.

W. P. Dando. Writing of this delightful bird, in a chapter

headed "The Courting of Birds," Mr. Finn remarks : — "Another

specially adorned bird is the Mandarin Drake (/£lx galericulatd),

whose extravagant decorations and extraordinary contrasts of

colour seem almost incredible in a natural species. He differs

from all other ducks, even his near ally the Summer or Carolina

duck (Aix sponsd), in the chestnut hackles on his neck and the

similarly coloured fan-feather in the wings. Accordingly, when

showing off, he curves his neck back like a fantail pigeon, and

by slightly opening and inclining his wings brings his fan into

an upright position, at the same time lifting his bushy crest as

high as it will go." Mandarin Ducks make ideal aviary birds if

unpinioned and given a large enclosure. They must have water,

but quite a small pond will suffice ; they perch readily, being

naturally tree ducks, and perfer to nest at a considerable height

from the ground.



