SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



BOOK5TORE7ID 



ALLEN'S NATURALISTS' LIBRARY. 



FOR some time past expectancy has been increas- 

 ing in the promised new series of books, which 

 will bear the collective title of "Allen's 

 Naturalists' Library." The preliminary announce- 

 ments justified us in looking for a useful series of 

 works on various biological subjects, which, under 

 the editorship of Dr. R. Bowdler Sharpe, F.L.S., 

 would be to ordinary persons taking a general 

 interest in nature what Sir William Jardine's 

 ' ' Naturalists' Library ' ' was on its issue years 

 ago. In fact, this series may be described as a 

 modernised edition of Jardine's library. 



We have now before us the first two volumes of 

 Messrs. W. H. Allen and Co.'s new venture. So 

 far from being the result of mere book-making, we 

 find two really good handbooks on special groups. 

 They are well arranged, concise, without being too 

 much cut down to be useful, carefully printed and 

 handsomely illustrated with full-sized coloured 

 plates. One of these two volumes is devoted to 

 the birds of Britain, and the other to certain 

 characteristic animals of Australasia. 



' ' Allen's Naturalists' Library ' ' will be appreciated 

 not only by educated persons generally, but is 

 sure to find a place in the reference department of 

 every public library in the Kingdom. 



A Handbook to the Birds of Great Britain. By R. 

 Bowdler Sharpe, LL.D., Zoological Department, 

 British Museum. Vol. L, pp. xxii and 342. 8vo, 

 with 31 coloured plates and other illustrations. 

 (London : Allen's Naturalists' Library, W. H. 

 Allen and Co., Limited, 1894.) Price 6s. 



As a new guide over so well beaten a path as the 

 study of British Birds, Dr. Bowdler Sharpe has 

 little chance of displaying originality, for, truth to 

 tell, it must be most difficult to bring forward 

 anything new either about species, life-histories, 

 distribution, migration or other facts appertaining 

 to the birds of this country. There remains, how- 

 ever, the writing of books which will attract future 

 students to ornithology, and Dr. Sharpe has 

 succeeded in producing one which cannot fail for 

 years to come to be the cause of many becoming 

 such students. Still, as pointed out in his preface 

 to this work, the knowledge of the subject is far 

 from complete. 



In his arrangement of matter, Dr. Sharpe has 

 rendered reference easy, and appears to have 

 included in small space whatever is really required 

 for identification and a knowledge of the habits of 

 any species. All the salient points are dealt with 

 under distinctive headings such as Adult Male, 

 Adult Female, Young, Range in Great Britain, 

 Range outside Great Britain, Habits, Nest, Eggs, 

 and other points where specially needed. This 

 volume concludes with the martins and swallows. 

 The plates have the usual fault of being too highly 

 coloured, but still there will not be much difficulty 

 in identifying the birds by them in most instances. 

 We should have thought that a little attention to 



subduing the more brilliant tints might have been 

 expended with advantage upon this new issue. 



A Handbook to the Marsitpialia and Monotremata. 

 By Richard Lydekker, B.A., F.G.S., etc. pp. 

 xvii and 302. 8vo, with 38 coloured plates and 

 other illustrations. (London : Allen's Naturalists' 

 Library, W. H. Allen and Co , Limited, 1894.) 

 Price 6s. 



We believe the two groups indicated in the title 

 have never before been treated in a popular hand- 

 book at a price within reach of the ordinary book 

 buyer. Still more pleasing is it to find that this 

 handbook is under the care of Mr. Lydekker, for 

 we can consequently depend upon the facts stated 

 therein. There are no more interesting mammals 

 than these, though among the lowest of that great 

 order. They are very little understood by most 

 people, even including many with some pretentions 

 to scientific knowledge. This especially applies to 

 the monotremes or egg-laying mammals, which 

 are confined to Australia, Tasmania and New- 

 Guinea. They derive the name monotreme from 

 the circumstance that there is, as in birds and 

 reptiles, but a single aperture at the extremity of 

 the body, from which are expelled all the waste 

 products of the body, as well as the reproductive 

 elements. Reproduction is effected by means of 

 eggs, which are laid and hatched by the female 

 parent, the young, after being hatched, are fed with 

 milk produced in a most unusual manner. 



The plates in this book are in most cases good 

 for those done in colours. Several new ones have 

 been especially drawn, so as to illustrate species 

 recently discovered, thus bringing the book quite up 

 to modern knowledge of the subject. This work 

 forms one of the most interesting we have met with 

 for some time past. 



Domestic Hygiene. By Thomas Dutton, M.D. 

 199 pp. 8vo. (London : Henry Kimpton and Hirsch- 

 field Bros., 1894.) No price stated. 



This is one of those useful little works which 

 have a tendency for good without pretending to be 

 more than a simple teacher of a subject on which 

 the general public are even still sadly ignorant. 

 The simple rules or suggestions in this work are 

 within everyone's reach, and if followed are sure 

 to contribute to healthiness of the individual, with 

 consequent benefit for society at large. 



Object Lessons from Nature : A First Book of 

 Science. By L. C. Miall, F.R.S. Two vols. 

 Fourth edition, 8vo, 240 pp. in each part. 57 

 illustrations. (London, Paris and Melbourne : 

 Cassell and Co., Limited, 1894.) Price is. 6d. 

 per vol. 



Professor Miall's experience as teacher of biology 

 at the Yorkshire College at Leeds has been so 

 extensive and so well known that any work from 

 his pen is sure to command attention. That these 

 two little volumes have been a success is assured 

 by the fact that they have reached their fourth 

 edition, which, in the hands of their publishers, 

 means a very considerable circulation. As aids for 

 giving a first taste and interest among young 

 people in the common objects of nature around us 

 these handbooks are admirable. The subjects 

 chosen for illustration are among the most familiar, 

 whilst their pithy treatment is such as to lead on 

 the reader to further enquiry. We strongly com- 

 mend these inexpensive little books to all who have 

 intelligent children, as an easy means of instructing 

 them in the familiar things around them. 



