186 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



publication, 'Zoologische Forschungsreisen in Australien und 

 dem malayischen Archipel.' One observation on Termites is, 

 however, too interesting to pass over. Our author was molested 

 by the inhabitants of a big ant-hill near his encampment, and 

 " strewed a handful of naphthalin crumbs all over the hill, in the 

 certain expectation that this would occasion a general emigration." 

 Conquering disgust, the Termites removed these objectionable 

 deposits from their habitation. Pieces of potassic cyanide were 

 now tried, and the expectation was held that by the morning the 

 place would be deserted by the ants and their belongings. "How 

 astonished was I when I found the whole surface of the heap 

 strewn with dead ants like a battle-field. The pieces of cyanide, 

 however, had totally disappeared ! More than one-half of the 

 community had met death in this desperate struggle, but still the 

 death-defying courage of the heroic little creatures had succeeded 

 in removing the fatal poison, the touch of which must have been 

 just as disagreeable to them as it was dangerous. . . . Once 

 removed from the heap, the poison had been well covered with 

 leaves and pieces of wood, then interred, and thus prevented 

 from doing further damage." 



We have not space to follow Mr. Semon through the islands 

 of the Malay Archipelago. As regards Celebes, he prefers the 

 views of Max Weber to those of Wallace, and refuses to associate 

 Celebes with the Australian region, believing its fauna to be an 

 impoverished Oriental one, showing a strong Australian ad- 

 mixture. 



The charm of these books lies in the philosophical treatment 

 of natural history narrative, which not only gives us glimpses of 

 exotic nature, but points to its signification. 



Cambridge Natural History. Vol. IX. Birds. By A. H. Evans, 

 M.A. Macmillan & Co., Limited. 1899. 



We recently drew attention in these pages (1898, p. 510) to 

 Mr. Beddard's ' Structure and Classification of Birds,' and if a 

 companion volume is sought to be found to that work, Mr. 

 Evans's book should come under that designation. One supple- 

 ments the other, and most naturalists will probably place them 



