SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



247 



Wild Life at Home. By R. Kearton, F.Z.S. 

 188 pp. 7! in. x 5J in. with 100 full-page and 

 other illustrations. (London, Paris, New York 

 and Melbourne : Cassell & Co., Limited, 1898.) 6s. 



On former occasions we have had pleasure in 

 noticing the very artistic work produced by Mr. 

 Kearton, and though less pretentious than his 

 former productions, the one before us is more 

 interesting to general naturalists and lovers of 

 country lore. The object of the author in this 



creatures soon become accustomed to its presence, 

 when successful pictures can be taken of their 

 natural habits and home life. By permission of 

 the publishers, we reproduce one of the larger 

 illustrations, showing a beautiful aberration of a 

 blackbird, with its nest. We have selected this 

 picture on account of the beauty of the bird 

 represented, but there are many others which far 

 exceed it in artistic value. One of the best is from 

 a small photograph on page 34, representing a shag 



Pied Blackbird Feeding her Chicks. 

 (From Kearton's " Wild Life at Home." Cassell & Co., Ltd.] 



work has been to give popular instructions for 

 studying wild life and obtaining photographs of 

 even the shyest members of our native fauna. In 

 it Mr. Kearton describes how he and his brother 

 proceeded to obtain such superb photographs 

 as those illustrating this and his former works. 

 The first chapter is one of general advice and 

 description of apparatus necessary. Among the 

 chief of these is an artificial tree trunk, arranged 

 to cover the operator with his camera. Having 

 placed this shield in position, tbe birds or other 



stretching herself. The position of the bird, 

 though eccentric, is most natural. The volume is 

 not entirely devoted to birds, for the last chapters 

 include mammals, insects, spiders mollusca, rep- 

 tiles, fish and marine objects. It is full of anecdotes, 

 and exhibits throughout great capacity for observa- 

 tion and power of description. " Wild Life at 

 Home " is one of the very best books on country 

 subjects that has come before us. The letterpress 

 is crisply and pleasantly written, suggestive of 

 many sunny days in wild places. 



