SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



131 



dripping branches lie naked to the sky, the hawfinch 

 deigns to visit the Broad district at rare intervals, 

 and he is generally to be found in a deserted 

 garden," etc. The etc. containing twenty-six more 

 words to complete the sentence. Dead butterflies 

 dropping through the skies is a new feature in the 

 history of those insects. It would be unfair to 

 infer that the whole book is of that style, but 

 there is far too much of it. Was it a " little 

 bird " which drew our attention to page 96 ? If so, 

 it surely must have been a starling, retaliating for 

 what the author thinks about him. He says: 

 'The starling is a dirty bird — dusky-skinned, 

 gaily-spotted like a dung-fly, fruit-thieving and 

 imitative. A hanger-on to the borders of civiliza- 

 tion, he has learnt all the petty meannesses of the 

 Broadsman and none of his noble qualities ; he is 

 a filthy pariah, a lover of warm chimney-corners 

 and animal droppings, and his song, now thrush- 

 like, now recalling some finch, is stolen ; he is a 

 born plagiarist, a dirty, sordid little creature and 

 full of the citizen's cunning." The photographs 

 add greatly to the appearance of the book, but 

 have evidently been taken from birds in " glassen 

 boxes," as the author tells us " the Broadsmen 

 contemptuously call ' set up' specimens." A few 

 of our readers who care to expend money on 

 "local " books may find in this that they have their 

 money's worth, for in it there is much Broadland 

 dialect and some quaint stories. J. T. C. 



On certain Phenomena belonging to the close of the 

 last Glacial Period, and on their bearing upon the Tradi- 

 tion of the Flood. By Joseph Prestwich, D.C.L., 

 F.R.S., F.G.S., &c. 98 pp. demy 8vo, some 

 illustrations. (London and New York : Macmillan 

 and Co., 1895.) Price 2s. 6d. 



It is not alone to geologists that this work of the 

 veteran professor of that science will appeal, but to 

 every educated person. He deals with it purely 

 from the present terrestrial evidence. With regard 

 to the theological tradition of the Flood, its 

 possibilities or impossibilities, he says, " that has 

 been fully dealt with by other writers," and he 

 confines himself to the question whether geology 

 furnishes evidence in support of a flood of the 

 magnitude and disastrous consequences of the one 

 typified in the ancient narratives. His conclusions 

 are well worth studying, and may be summed up in 

 his own words, " There is, however, I consider, 

 sufficient evidence to warrant the inferences I have 

 drawn from the facts described, as well as reason 

 to believe that the tradition could not have had its 

 origin otherwise than in an event of very excep- 

 tional and extraordinary character — far more so 

 than any that could have resulted from ordinary 

 river-floods." Professor Prestwich has examined 

 not only the Biblical tradition of the Flood, but 

 every other available tradition, and in an Appendix 

 he quotes the Rev. Professor Sayc^ at length, on 

 the version of the deluge from the Babylonian 

 Tablets. This is, of course, a far older version 

 than the Hebrew narrative, being polytheistic, and 

 one upon which our Biblical history was doubtless 

 founded. The author's opinion is, that the sub- 

 mergence which gave rise to the tradition occurred 

 within 8,000 or 10,000 years ago, and was within 

 the time of palaeolithic man. J T. C. 



Nature in Acadie. By H. R. Swann, 82 pp. 

 crown 8vo, with frontispiece. (London : John Bale 

 and Sons, 1895.) Limited to 250 copies. Price 

 3s. 6d. 



This is a series of pleasantly-chatty impressions 



on nature and living things on a first visit to Nova 

 Scotia, or "Acadia," as the French called the 

 country, from the Micmae Indian word, "akSde," 

 meaning "abundance." We do not see that Mr. 

 Swann refers to this interesting origin of the name 

 of his book, which derivation does not seem to 

 be commonly known. The chapters indicate 

 the author's faculty for observation, and are very 

 readable. J. T. C. 



Guernsey Society of Natural Science and Local 

 Research : Report and Transactions for 1894. 6 7 PP- 

 8vo (Guernsey : Bichard, 1895.) 



The Hon. Secretary is Mr. William Sharp, 2, 

 Ross Place, Guernsey. We note, on the authority 

 of Mr. E. D. Marquand, the President, that hedge- 

 hogs, which were introduced into the island fifty 

 years ago, are now comparatively common. The 

 black rat occurs in Herm, Sark and Brechon. 

 There are several good papers in the "Transactions," 

 including branches of fauna of the island, they are 

 " Aculeate-Hymenoptera," by W. A. Luff, " Land 

 and Fresh- water Shells," by E. D. Marquand, 

 "List of the Spiders of the Channel Islands," by 

 Rev. Fred. O. Picard-Cambridge, " Algas of 

 Guernsey," by Mr. Marquand, and also the annual 

 presidential address by the same gentleman, which 

 is full of local interest with regard to natural 

 science. J- T. C. 



The Migration of British Birds, including their Post- 

 Glacial Emigration, as treated by the application of a 

 neiv Law of Dispersal. By Charles Dixon. 327 pp. 

 crown 8vo, and six coloured maps. (London : 

 Chapman and Hall, Limited.) Price 7s. 6d. 



With evident care and much labour, the author 

 has written a speculative book on the origin and 

 continuance of migration of birds, mammals and 

 plants. It is probable that some of the arguments 

 on which his " new law " is founded, will stand the 

 criticism of time, but that criticism is sure to be 

 severe. Whatever the result, it is plain Mr. Dixon 

 is in earnest, and his book should be read by ever} 

 thoughtful ornithologist and naturalist interested 

 in geographical distribution of animals and plants. 

 The work is divided into two parts, the first treat- 

 ing on the physical and climatic changes which 

 have affected the birds visiting, from prehistoric 

 times, what is now the British Archipelago. The 

 second part deals with the migration of birds 

 within the same area, and the phenomena connected 

 with seasonal flights and irruptive visits. The 

 book is pleasantly written and forms excellent 

 reading. J. T. C. 



Object Lessons in Botany : From the Forest, Field, 

 Wayside and Garden. (Book II., for Standards III , 

 IV. and V.). By Edward Snelgrove, B.A. 310 pp. 

 8vo, illustrated by 153 figures. (London : Jarrold 

 and Sons, 1895.) Price 3s. 6d. 



This is a compilation for the teachers' aid, being a 

 systematic course of one hundred elementary lessons 

 in botany, for boys and girls. The author has 

 followed the best of plans for impressing the 

 lessons on his scholars, by making them participate 

 in the work for its own pleasure. He expects the 

 children, if possible, to gather, in a state of nature, 

 the objects to illustrate each lesson. This is far 

 better than imperfectly drawing on a blackboard 

 the leaf of a dandelion, and writing beneath it 

 "runcinate." The taste formed in many of the 

 scholars, whilst gathering and pressing their small 

 collections in connection with these lessons, will, in 

 man}* instances, be abiding, and bear good results 

 in after years. The whole tone of the book is in 

 good taste and it is nicely illustrated. J. T. C. 



