NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 390 



Forest,' while a few have been specially drawn and engraved for 

 the work by Mr. G. E. Lodge. 



Nature and Woodcraft. By John Watson, F.L.S. With Illus- 

 trations by G. E. Lodge. 8vo, pp. 302. London: Walter 

 Smith & Innis. 1890. 



Under this attractive title Mr. Watson has collected a number 

 of newspaper articles on a variety of topics more or less connected 

 with Natural History, and most of them very pleasantly written. 

 But we have failed to discover a single observation that is new, 

 while we have found many with which we are quite unable to 

 agree. 



To take a few instances from the first chapter on Birds of 

 Prey. The "bright orange of the tarsi" is not a distinctive 

 character of the Sparrowhawk, as the author supposes (p. 6), nor 

 is it the habit of this bird to "beat the air with pointed wings," 

 and "hang as if suspended" (p. 7). The Sparrowhawk has 

 rounded wings, and the action of hovering (which has suggested 

 the name "windhover") is that of the Kestrel. On page 10 we 

 are told that the Peregrine Falcon " will dash through a flock of 

 wild ducks or a covey of partridges, wounding several in its sortie, 

 but eventually carrying off the one selected with unerring aim." 

 That the one selected is struck down with unerring aim is true 

 enough, but that several are previously wounded is altogether a 

 myth, and we make this statement with confidence, having seen 

 scores of grouse and partridges killed by falcons. 



Equally wide of the mark is the assertion (p. 12) that " the 

 great grouse poachers of the moors are the beautiful little Merlins." 

 We have seen these birds repeatedly in their natural haunts ; 

 have trained and flown several; and have seen many others 

 trained and flown by other people at quarry suited to their size 

 and strength, and thus have had abundant opportunity of judging 

 of their capabilities. But we have never seen anything to make 

 us believe that the Merlin is in the habit of killing grouse, or 

 that it possesses the requisite strength and weight to do so if it 

 would. That it occasionally carries off newly-hatched grouse on 

 which to feed its own young in the nest is likely enough ; but 



