SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



Birds of the Wave and Woodland. By Phil 

 Robinson. 244 pp., crown 4to, with 44 illustrations 

 by Charles Whymper and others. (London : 

 Isbister and Co., Limited. 1894.) Price 10s. 6d. 



As a specimen of modern book production, 

 Messrs. Isbister and Co., have succeeded in issuing 

 a beautiful work. It states on the title-page that 

 the illustrations are by Charles "Whymper and others, 

 but very few are 

 those which do not 

 bear Mr. Whymper's 

 well - known signa- 

 ture. The two pic- 

 turesque drawings 

 which we reproduce 

 by permission of the 

 publishers, are differ- 

 ent examples of that 

 artist's style in this 

 work. There are no 

 less than eighteen 

 full-page drawings, 

 and many of the 

 others are nearly as 

 large. Evidently ex- 

 pense has not been 

 considered, for we 

 have the full benefit 

 of the wood engra- 

 ver's art in these 

 pictures, instead of 

 the growing tendencv 

 for process blocks. 



Mr. Phil Robin- 

 son's letterpress is as 

 facile and readable as 

 is usual with him. 

 Pleasant enough to 

 become most inter- 

 esting is he as he 

 rambles through his 

 woodlands and bv 

 side of his waves. 

 Always cheerfully 

 confident in his facts 

 and assertive as is 

 his wont, but as was 

 said, if we mistake 

 not, of an ornate 

 edition of Rogers' 

 "Italy," on its ap- 

 pearance — "were it 

 not for the plates, 

 the book had been 

 dished."' Why can- 

 not our author take 

 time for thought as 

 he writes ? We have 

 no doubt he remem- 

 bers now that many 

 of his statements 

 which are subject 

 to correction, could 

 have been accurately 

 written by himself, 

 had he thought of 



his bird experiences at Marlborough, when he and 

 his brother used to find many "good things.'' A 

 busy life, with some adventure, soon rubs off 

 little corners of memory and the tendency to 

 verify before committing oneself to the cruel glare 

 of public print. Still, as we have said, this is a read- 

 able book containing many passages of distinct 

 literary merit. For those who care more for beauty 



Xestixg-hole of Wryneck. 

 From " Birds of the Wave and Woodland." 



than science, we may say we have not lately met 

 with a book which is more pleasing or more read- 

 able in its pleasant chattiness. J. T. C. 



A Hand-book to the British Mammalia. Bv 

 R. Lydekker. B.A, F.R.S-, V.P.G.S., etc. 352 pp'. 

 8vo, illustrated with thirty-two coloured plates. 

 Allen's Naturalist's Library. (London : W. H. 

 Allen and Co., Limited. 1895.) Price 6s. 



The difference be- 

 tween the old "Jar- 

 dine s Naturalists' 

 Library " and the 

 present series be- 

 comes more apparent 

 as it proceeds. This is 

 largely to be attribu- 

 ted to the greater 

 scientific treatment 

 of modern popular 

 works on natural 

 history than was 

 the custom half-a- 

 centuryago. Mr. Ly- 

 dekker has brought 

 his geological infor- 

 mation to his aid in 

 preparing the latest 

 treatise on the wild 

 mammals of Britain. 

 This has been ju- 

 diciously applied, not 

 too speculatively as 

 a rule, and forms one 

 of the most pleasing 

 features of the book. 

 We are a little sorrv 

 to read on page 16, 

 when introducing the 

 bats, ' ' Since bats are, 

 on the whole, less in- 

 teresting than many 

 other British mam- 

 mals, our notices of 

 the various species 

 will be comparatively 

 brief.'" It is because 

 they are so little 

 known or understood 

 in this country that 

 they are generally 

 considered uninter- 

 esting. We should 

 like to have seen 

 more notes from the 

 author, on the life- 

 history- and habits 

 of these strange ani- 

 mals, in new of in- 

 ducing those with a 

 taste for natural 

 history, who have 

 opportunities for ob- 

 serving, to take more 

 interest in them ; for 

 we feel sure there is 

 much still to learn 

 about bats. These remarks, however, do not 

 apply to some other parts of this hand-book, 

 which is throughout most interesting, not to 

 say entertaining. It is a valuable book and will 

 be most useful, especially to those residing in 

 the country, for it is quite surprising how very little 

 is generallv known about our wild mammals. 



J. T. C. 



