NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 35 



of the Spoonbill, Stork, and Common and Purple Heron, and 

 has seen for himself and recorded for us many incidents of their 

 home-lives, while thirty-two photographic plates illustrate his 

 narrative. He has also referred to one peculiarity in animal 

 life, the study of which will have a great future. He writes : — 

 " There are personalities in birds just as in human beings, 

 though through lack of intimacy they tend to pass unnoticed." 

 This is a well-known observation so far as domestic animals are 

 concerned, but is as yet inadequately observed and more in- 

 adequately recorded. When a bird-watcher is also what we call 

 a "man of the world," and ceases to believe that many human 

 traits and weaknesses are outside the lives of other animals, he 

 will find that even among birds none is thoroughly bad, and 

 none thoroughly good, and that a personal element pervades 

 the whole. The bird-watcher will then provide material for 

 enlarging the base of psychology. Aviculturists could already 

 say much on this matter. 



This small publication has followed Mr. Macpherson's 

 * Home-life of a Golden Eagle,' noticed in our volume for 1909, 

 and we hope that a series may be thus inaugurated. 



OBITUAEY. 



Charles Kingsley Siddall. 



We greatly regret to learn that our contributor, Mr. C. K. Siddall, 

 passed away at 23, Eaton Eoad, Chester, on November 16th, 1910, in 

 his thirty-second year, after a long illness. Two communications 

 from his pen appeared in our last volume, the year of his decease. 

 His parents have since published a posthumous paper in separate 

 form, entitled ' Bird-Life in a Suburban Garden — The Garden that I 

 Love,' for circulation among his many friends. 



