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NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS, Etc. 



British Birds. Vol. III. By A. Thorbuen, E.Z.S. London : 

 Longmans, Green & Co. 1916. £1 lis. 6d. net. Set of 

 4 vols. £6 6s. net. 

 Beautiful as were the first two volumes of this delightful work, 

 the present one far surpasses the two combined, and in it the 

 pictures worthy to be framed may be numbered by the dozen. 

 This is, of course, what might have been expected, for the Anatidce, 

 now dealt with, are those among our birds which are most adapted 

 for pictorial treatment, not only by their beauty of form and colouring, 

 but, as has been remarked by other reviewers, by their gregarious 

 habits, which render group-pictures of them more natural than is 

 the case with most other birds. In addition to this group Mr. 

 Thorburn undertakes in this volume the Spoonbill, Ibis, Flamingo, 

 Storks, Sand-Grouse, Pigeons, Game-birds, and Rails, finishes the 

 Herons, and figures the great Bustard as a frontispiece, the letter- 

 press dealing with it closing the volume. He is thus well off for 

 picturesque subjects outside the Anatidcs, and generally rises to the 

 occasion ; his concluding plate of Herons is a gem, though that 

 showing the Storks and Flamingo is not nearly so good, the former 

 birds being too rounded and short, with the hind toes far too small, 

 and the latter too hard in outline and lacking the slim grace and 

 looseness of plumage so characteristic of the species. Among the 

 Ducks, the plate of the Mergansers is easily the best, and the diving 

 species generally are better than the rest ; the Sheldrakes are dis- 

 appointing, their poses not being very characteristic, while, though 

 full justice is done to the exquisite plumage of the Common Teal 

 and Garganey, the Blue-winged Teal and American Wigeon are less 

 happily rendered as regards their equally delicate colouring. Among 

 the Swans, sufficient stress is not laid on the difference in size 

 between the Whooper and Bewick's, nor does the plate of those 

 Geese distinguish enough between the flat snaky head of the Brent 

 and the rounder one of the Bernicle. The letterpress calls for no 

 especial criticism ; but we note some regrettable misprints, " Mareco " 

 and " Mereca " for Mareca, on pp. 38 and 39; "Bartlet" for Bartlett 

 on the latter ; and " arhellus " for albellus, twenty pages further on. 



