notices of new books* 22? 



decoys, with one exception, are no longer worked; civilisation 

 encroaches at all points ; shoulder-gunners are on the increase 

 on the rivers and broads ; in short, all these factors are destroying 

 what was formerly, for its extent, one of the best punting resorts 

 on the coast. With this destruction of their natural haunts it is 

 not surprising that many species of birds are disappearing. 



What a famous place it once was for waterfowl of all kinds 

 may be inferred from Mr. Fielding Harmer's list of the species 

 which at various times have been procured there. This list 

 would have been more instructive if Mr. Harmer had not adopted 

 the embarrassing and useless plan of enumerating every species 

 in the British list, leaving the reader to infer that all those to 

 which no observations are appended have not occurred there. It 

 would have been far better to have omitted these altogether. 

 " I have given " (he says) " YarrelFs complete list of British 

 birds ; when no note is made, it will be understood that these 

 birds have not been observed on Breydon." Then why include 

 them ? He has not adopted Yarrell's classification, which renders 

 any comparison with that work very troublesome. Nor is it 

 possible, for the reasons stated, to estimate properly what pro- 

 portion of the whole number of species has been met with in this 

 much-favoured locality. 



From a cursory perusal which we have made of this list, 

 it appears that a closer examination of the records relating to 

 Norfolk, which have been published from time to time by 

 ornithologists resident in Norfolk, would have enabled the author 

 to make it much more perfect than it seems to be. Nevertheless, 

 as a conscientious attempt to elucidate the avifauna of a particular 

 district, it forms an acceptable addition to the literature of the 

 subject. 



The Birds of Sussex. By William Boriier, M.A., F.L.S. 

 With a map and six coloured plates, by J. Gr. Keulemans. 

 London : E. H. Porter. 1891. 8vo., pp. 385. 



If fifty years of close observation of the habits and move- 

 ments of birds, in the county in which the author has continuously 

 resided, be considered, as it undoubtedly is, the best qualification 

 for giving some account of them, assuredly no one was better 

 qualified than Mr. Borrer to undertake the preparation of the 

 present volume, which bears on every page the stamp of accurac} r . 



