70 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 



The Tercentenary Edition of the Complete Angler, or Contem- 

 plative Man's Recreation. By Izaak Walton & Charles 

 Cotton. Edited, with Notes from a Naturalist's point 

 of view, by J. E. Harting. 2 vols. 4to. London : 

 Bagster & Sons. 1893. 



Some years ago, when noticing the publication of a facsimile 

 reprint of this esteemed book (Zool. 1882, pp. 357-360), we 

 gave a list of the various editions which were then known to 

 exist, and which at that time, on the authority of Messrs. West- 

 wood and Satchell, were said to number no less than eighty- 

 seven. Since that review appeared there have been several fresh 

 issues, including a beautiful reprint of Major's edition published 

 by Messrs. Nimmo and Bain in 1883, with original etchings, and 

 all the illustrations laid down on india-paper. Then we have had 

 Mr. Robert Marston's handsome quarto, and one or two others 

 of less importance. 



It is curious to note how, in all these editions, the natural 

 history lore of Izaak Walton has been neglected. His critics, as 

 perhaps was only natural, have been fishermen who looked at the 

 practical value of the book, although others, like Sir John 

 Hawkins and Sir Harris Nicholas, have shown considerable 

 literary research in their annotations, dealing with a variety 

 of subjects that have little or no connection with fishing, beyond 

 the fact that some allusion is made to them by Walton. And yet 

 there is a good deal in the book to attract the curious naturalist, 

 especially if his tastes incline to the antiquarian side of natural 

 history, and he have some acquaintance with old authors. To 

 such a one it is pretty evident that Walton was not what would 

 be termed in these days an observant out-door naturalist. He 

 used his eyes, no doubt, so far as they served his purpose as an 

 angler ; but most of his ideas about animals and plants seem to 

 have been derived from the books he read rather than from 

 actual observation. He was truly a " contemplative man," and 

 turned his reading to account. Such books as Dr. Philemon 

 Holland's translation of * Pliny' and of Camden's 'Britannia,' 



